Has this story ever turned out well for American man and Russian woman?

[rlogan 2,036]

Rlogan, I do not need to pose as a clinical psychologist.

See how you object to your own tactics applied to yourself? Not a big deal. This is fascinating to me.

And you should read up on board certified clinical psychologists. You probably meant to write licensed clinical psychologists. A very small minority of psychologists are board certified. It's not required and very few psychologists do it.

Again, I understand that you have read several books about personality disorders. Good for you.

That's why the belittling tactic does not work with me. You likely had a childhood where you saw this and other manipulative tactics used.

Your statement about the tactic is inaccurate. Some people who have personality disorders and are told about their diagnosis are actually relieved. They are relieved to know that there is a name for what they experience. They are glad to know that there are treatments out there for their difficulties. Other people with personality disorders do not respond the same way. It all varies. It also depends on who diagnoses them.

This seems to be your favorite tactic - the strawman pretense that other people are saying every person is exactly the same. Here you are again with the argument that you are more of a clinical psychologist too. This is a lot of fun for me.

You seem to be fixated on the idea of manipulation.

Beautiful, thanks. I'm sick. Straight from manipulation 101 too. Shaming doesn't work on me either, ie. I need to shrink away from fear of being labelled as having this sick fixation on manipulation.

You seem to think that people with personality disorders manipulate others. Some do, some don't. Some do it consciously, some do it unconsciously.

Favorite straw man again - opponent says every person is precisely the same.

I probably did not articulate my thoughts well last time. I meant to write that BPD is a an extremely heterogenous category with people who have different criteria and different levels of severity. You can never make sweeping statements about someone with BPD unless you know their particulars very well, their history, treatments, relationships, etc.

Let's see, should I say something belittling like "I see you have read some on this... good for you" and then invalidate you by saying you are not a clinical psychologist?

You have some kind of issue with me that really brings out the invalidator in you, and it is interesting.

[rlogan 2,036]

My Goodness.

Phil N - I do agree with some of the others that you need to be looking into your own personality, just as I did. If it takes nearly killing two people to get you rejecting them, then that's a bit of a warning sign in your own personality, isn't it?. "I leave them right after they kill me." Not exacttly the winning long run policy.

A lot of the standard put-down tactics have been used here, and it is impossible to avoid on an anonymous internet forum. A conscientious person, and it is easy to spot them, will always be attacked for not having a conscience. They'll say "oh look at you, reading books about your wife. That proves you think she's just an animal." It's that ridiculous. But it works on a conscientious person because they are sensitive to the charge and will get defensive about it.

Oh you made a *gasp* generalization, which is an absolute necessity when you speak to a group of people with common disorders. Duh. That is why they have categories of disorders. Because of the commonalities. This is also the same level of emotionally manipulative noise you get on an internet forum, and what they want to do is put you on the defensive because that is exertion of power over someone. Petty, but it's what people do.

So. She's out of the picture. Now time for self-assessment. It helped me a great deal. I did take on a wife with a grave health issue, Phil. In the worst of it she will be throwing up green bile all day at the same time she has horrifically bad migraines. At the moment because of the weather she is getting them about once a week. Really bad. But I love her and entered this knowing it would be with us for the rest of our lives, and I'll take a physical disorder over mental abuse any day.

[nane1104 146]

OP, stick to your guns and send her home. I don't think there is any working it out. I really believe you tried to the best of your abilities and maybe your efforts would have worked with another woman...and maybe THIS woman might be fine with another man. But the two of you together seem to be poison.

I am sorry it is not working out, but I am glad you came to the realisation that it is better this way.

God knows, what she would be capable of doing next time, something isn't right for her.

Keep us posted about how you are doing! Good luck!

[Phil N 4]

My Goodness.

Phil N - I do agree with some of the others that you need to be looking into your own personality, just as I did. If it takes nearly killing two people to get you rejecting them, then that's a bit of a warning sign in your own personality, isn't it?. "I leave them right after they kill me." Not exacttly the winning long run policy.

A lot of the standard put-down tactics have been used here, and it is impossible to avoid on an anonymous internet forum. A conscientious person, and it is easy to spot them, will always be attacked for not having a conscience. They'll say "oh look at you, reading books about your wife. That proves you think she's just an animal." It's that ridiculous. But it works on a conscientious person because they are sensitive to the charge and will get defensive about it.

Oh you made a *gasp* generalization, which is an absolute necessity when you speak to a group of people with common disorders. Duh. That is why they have categories of disorders. Because of the commonalities. This is also the same level of emotionally manipulative noise you get on an internet forum, and what they want to do is put you on the defensive because that is exertion of power over someone. Petty, but it's what people do.

So. She's out of the picture. Now time for self-assessment. It helped me a great deal. I did take on a wife with a grave health issue, Phil. In the worst of it she will be throwing up green bile all day at the same time she has horrifically bad migraines. At the moment because of the weather she is getting them about once a week. Really bad. But I love her and entered this knowing it would be with us for the rest of our lives, and I'll take a physical disorder over mental abuse any day.

Looking into my own issues? Only my entire adult life...

Now, based on my understanding of BPD behaviors, I will probably be subjected to some intense "Hoovering" by her the next couple days, to try to "suck me back in". If I'm right, she will admit she has a problem, agree to do the BPD assessment, offer me lots of sex, and just generally be very affectionate towards me. I'd be lying if I said that didn't appeal to me, on an emotional level. I do feel like a moth drawn to her flame. This latest stunt, of her trying to make the car run off the road, was so serious, that it really has to be a show-stopper.

Yes, it has been interesting, the attacks and analysis I've been subjected to here. There is just no pleasing some people, so I try to remember to simply please at least myself. I see myself as a confused man doing my best to learn. I also hope that telling my story, as it unfolds, will help others learn from it in the future.

FYI, everything in this thread that I have posted is 100% true, aside from a few small minor names and places changed to protect anonymity. I am not so creative as to make any of this stuff up, nor do I have the time and attention and/or life energy to spend that way. And yes, it is told from my point of view. From her point of view, it would read quite differently, with me as the villain.

[Golden Gate 530]

rlogan - I have gotten migraines since I was a small child. Sometimes I would be throwing up bile for three days straight and unable to do absolutely anything - what happens is that you get severely dehydrated and keep perpetuating the nausea, and then your blood vessels keep dilating and constricting. Does your wife get auras?

I went to a neurologist and was prescribed a beta-blocker. In fact, that helped prevent a great deal of these migraines. Eventually I got off that medication, and usually I get one migraine a month now, regularly, that will last usually 24 hours. Migraines have a lot of different triggers - stress, humidity, changes in air pressure, caffeine, alcohol, cheese and other milk products, processed meats, among other things.

I did notice that since I have been fasting, and therefore, eating more healthily than I normally do, once I break fast in the evening, that my migraine is a lot less severe. So what I am eating seems to be a big factor.

Just some things to consider.

[Dan and Judy 614]

Posted 06 August 2011 - 06:38 AM

The MCat reference is flattering, but for drama and sheer "Huh? Really?" factor, I think MCAT may have set the bar too high even for me to top. Not to mention I have no desire to do so...

UPDATE:

The events this weekend really took the cake.

Saturday night (Sunday near 1am) I was driving back from visiting her best friend (from her country, and married to USA man for 2+ years) and the best friend's husband. Much vodka had been consumed. (Except not by me, I was stone cold sober, I am the driver) My fiancee and her daughter in the car. Everything seemed good. Her favorite music was playing on the car stereo, she was swaying and singing. With 30 minutes driving left until arriving home, we stopped for bathroom and snacks at a gas station convenience store. Her daughter grabbed a giant bag of potato chips for a snack. I said no, take one of the smaller bags. I attempted to explain to the daughter that only a small bag (at 1/3 the price) was necessary for the trip home. (We have $250 of groceries, snacks, etc. at home from shopping trips this week) I got scolded by mom and told I had to buy two smaller bags now, as my punishment for refusing. I refused to do that as well. They went to the car. In the interest of domestic peace, I decided to just buy the large bag and went to the car and handed that to the daughter, and off we went. Two minutes down the road, my fiancee started exclaiming how she will not marry me, she came to this country absolutely normal and in love with me, and essentially I have driven her crazy. Then she erupted into a full-blown, toddler-esque temper tantrum. She started beating her bare feet on the car dashboard, and pounding her fist on the dashboard as well, and SCREAMING, "I hate you! I hate your f---ing country!! I hate your house!!" I did not respond, and kept driving. A few moments later, she more calmly said, "You hate my friends, don't you?! Yes, you hate my friends. You hate everything about them." The truth is that I consider her friends husband a dear friend of mine, and I have no issues with her friend, and simply want them to be together to support each other. I also thought this seemed like BPD projection, attributing to me thoughts and feelings I do not have, that are a projection of her own intense feelings (about something else) onto me. I tried to remember the communication approach for dealing with this. I asked her what makes her think I hate her friends? I don't remember her answer. I told her that the visit was what I expected from her friend, and I do not hate them or anyone, and I had enjoyed the evening. A few moments later, she again erupted into a full-blown, toddler-esque temper tantrum, beating her bare feet on the car dashboard, and pounding her fist on the dashboard as well, and SCREAMING, "I hate you! I hate your f---ing country!! I hate your house!!" Again I did not respond, and kept driving.

We were going 60 MPH down a major freeway. She then GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL, YANKED IT SIDEWAYS, AND THE CAR SWERVED WILDLY. I quickly got control of the steering wheel back, and righted the car. I pushed her hands away, to the passenger side. I SCREAMED at her, "How dare you endanger my life, and the life of your child??!! There are THREE lives in this car, not just yours!!!" Her daughter began yelling at her in Russian, scolding her mother, from the back seat.

I took the next freeway exit, and she seemed to have settled down. No apparent apology or remorse, but she promised not to grab the steering wheel or pound on the dash.

I drove the remaining 30 minutes home without incident. I then left the house, and have not been back yet.

Endangering my life (and her daughter's life) crossed a line with me. I don't think I can work with or make excuses for this woman any more.

TBoneTX, the prospect of waking up (NOT!) with my throat cut just became a little more real... time to send her home.

Let's not be rash here. This one was really your fault. You should never stay sober when your wife is getting drunk and don't get drunk if she is staying sober. The daughter could have handled the driving duties.

If you were wasted also, You would have gone for two big bags of chips right off the bat. Remember she promised not to grab the steering wheel again and she didn't. Ok Ok you caught me being sarcastic,

I just thought you might be looking for one reason to change your mind

[rlogan 2,036]

rlogan - I have gotten migraines since I was a small child. Sometimes I would be throwing up bile for three days straight and unable to do absolutely anything - what happens is that you get severely dehydrated and keep perpetuating the nausea, and then your blood vessels keep dilating and constricting. Does your wife get auras?

I went to a neurologist and was prescribed a beta-blocker. In fact, that helped prevent a great deal of these migraines. Eventually I got off that medication, and usually I get one migraine a month now, regularly, that will last usually 24 hours. Migraines have a lot of different triggers - stress, humidity, changes in air pressure, caffeine, alcohol, cheese and other milk products, processed meats, among other things. We found that some neurologists don't know migraines as well as others, and for sure other specialists are completely barking up the wrong tree with thinking it is gastronomical.

I did notice that since I have been fasting, and therefore, eating more healthily than I normally do, once I break fast in the evening, that my migraine is a lot less severe. So what I am eating seems to be a big factor.

Just some things to consider.

hey thanks, Golden Gate. The best thing we found was talking to others who get migraines. Yes, yes on the throwing up for days - eleven at the worst of it before we made the right diagnosis by ourselves. We really thought she was dying. One day in that period she was out of the hospital, and not on IV's to keep her hydrated. Auras - her anunt gets them more than her, and others in my family do too. She gets occular migraines as well though as well as having other triggers like chocolate, dehydration, stress, barometric pressure/moisture, and we think maybe some food additives. In the processed meats, yeah. Neither of us drinks alcohol.

Yes Phil N of course the one thing you can count on is being free of it until you are free from her.

Edited August 8, 2011 by rlogan

[Dan and Judy 614]

Looking into my own issues? Only my entire adult life...

Now, based on my understanding of BPD behaviors, I will probably be subjected to some intense "Hoovering" by her the next couple days, to try to "suck me back in". If I'm right, she will admit she has a problem, agree to do the BPD assessment, offer me lots of sex, and just generally be very affectionate towards me. I'd be lying if I said that didn't appeal to me, on an emotional level. I do feel like a moth drawn to her flame. Opps! I posted before I read this one. Your reason for changing your mind is a lot more compelling than what I came up with. The idea of a woman hovering over me and trying

to "suck me back in" and trying to bribe me with sex. I gotta confess, just anticipating this is worth keeping her around. I'd be in control. I mean you.

Yes, it has been interesting, the attacks and analysis I've been subjected to here. And the attention, don't forget the attention we ...I mean you are getting. I think we are setting some kind of record for posts and views.

FYI, everything in this thread that I have posted is 100% true, Did you really scream "How dare you endanger my life"? Nothing takes the uummph out of screaming like using 3 syllable words. According to your quotes she is a much better screamer than you even when she is going off in a second language. The rule is nothing over 2 syllables. I'm left with the image of a proper British gentleman in a bowler derby,," My dear, How dare you endanger.

I think we need to keep her around .I mean you! Oh no!! 3 times in one post. what am I doing?? I think maybe I need some analysis, somebody help me!!!!!!!!!!

[psychasthenia 9]

That's why the belittling tactic does not work with me. You likely had a childhood where you saw this and other manipulative tactics used.

Let's see, should I say something belittling like "I see you have read some on this... good for you" and then invalidate you by saying you are not a clinical psychologist?

You have some kind of issue with me that really brings out the invalidator in you, and it is interesting.

You are heavily fixated on manipulation and seem to see it everywhere around you. That's quite interesting for me.

People who agree with your points of view are innocent people who fall prey to manipulative tactics. People who don't agree with you are the manipulators (who use manipulative tactics). You tend to see things in black and white. It's gotta be good. It simplifies life quite a bit

For me, it is clear that our conversation is absolutely meaningless. I am not really sure what you are trying to convince of. There is nothing that you will ever teach me about BPD. When you or PhilN will write on here about the difference between borderline personality organization vs. borderline personality disorder vs. borderline personality traits, I will take both of you seriously.

I only intervened in this conversation because of the BPD talk. If at least one person who reads here understands that BPD is a heterogenous category where people have different levels of impairment and respond to treatment idiosyncratically, I am happy. Some people with BPD outgrow it with age. Others benefit from treatment. Other people will never be able to adaptively manage the emotional dysregulation. You will not know how one particular person with supposedly BPD will respond to help. The ridiculous thing in this whole conversation is the fact that the poster's fiancee was actually diagnosed by her fiancee. He also happens to have zero background in psychology.

Edited August 8, 2011 by psychasthenia

[psychasthenia 9]

PhilN, I sincerely doubt that you will be ending your relationship with your fiancee. It's unfortunate because it sounds like it's quite toxic.

Your response to her comment about your hating her friends was excellent. Not because you responded well to her "BPD projection", but because you tried to understand why she would think that. You tried to clarify what she meant by that and what made her believe that. It showed that you were receptive to what she said even if her comment didn't make sense to you. I would suggest you stop using the fancy psychological jargon because it only creates emotional distance between you two. Most people project their feelings onto others, ranging from the most well-adjusted to the most primitive paranoid schizophrenic. We all use defense mechanisms. She seems to have difficulty tolerating strong, negative emotions.

Edited August 8, 2011 by psychasthenia

[Dan and Judy 614]

You are heavily fixated on manipulation and seem to see it everywhere around you. That's quite interesting for me.

People who agree with your points of view are innocent people who fall prey to manipulative tactics. People who don't agree with you are the manipulators (who use manipulative tactics). You tend to see things in black and white. It's gotta be good. It simplifies life quite a bit

For me, it is clear that our conversation is absolutely meaningless. I am not really sure what you are trying to convince of. There is nothing that you will ever teach me about BPD. When you or PhilN will write on here about the difference between borderline personality organization vs. borderline personality disorder vs. borderline personality traits, I will take both of you seriously.

I only intervened in this conversation because of the BPD talk. If at least one person who reads here understands that BPD is a heterogenous category where people have different levels of impairment and respond to treatment idiosyncratically, I am happy. Some people with BPD outgrow it with age. Others benefit from treatment. Other people will never be able to adaptively manage the emotional dysregulation. You will not know how one particular person with supposedly BPD will respond to help. The ridiculous thing in this whole conversation is the fact that the poster's fiancee was actually diagnosed by her fiancee. He also happens to have zero background in psychology.

Wow, thanks for posting. I wanted to post again....I mean I REALY wanted to post again but I was afraid if I posted twice in a row I might be labled an OCP, (Obsessive compulsive poster).

OK here it is. I have a confession to make................................................I made up the screaming rule. I don't even know if there are rules for screaming. Life is better if we all follow the rules. But how can we follow them if we don't even know what they are? We were thinking about it and idiot is a a perfectly good screaming word and it does in fact have 3 syllables. Perhaps it is because the accent is on

the first syllable. If anyone out there knows the officially sanctioned rules for screaming we would like to hear what they are. And just for the record, I am %100 heterogenous most of the time.

[Phil N 4]

...There is nothing that you will ever teach me about BPD. When you or PhilN will write on here about the difference between borderline personality organization vs. borderline personality disorder vs. borderline personality traits, I will take both of you seriously.

I only intervened in this conversation because of the BPD talk. If at least one person who reads here understands that BPD is a heterogenous category where people have different levels of impairment and respond to treatment idiosyncratically, I am happy. Some people with BPD outgrow it with age. Others benefit from treatment. Other people will never be able to adaptively manage the emotional dysregulation. You will not know how one particular person with supposedly BPD will respond to help. The ridiculous thing in this whole conversation is the fact that the poster's fiancee was actually diagnosed by her fiancee. He also happens to have zero background in psychology.

As if I cared about whether you take me seriously. Setting yourself up as the "authority". It simply comes across as pompous.

I have understood about the heterogeneous nature of BPD almost from day 1, trying to make sense of what I'm dealing with. I've also figured out everything else you mention without your help. Was this supposed to take years of study? A couple weeks of studying and paying attention has been enough to understand all those things. There are some pretty good resources out there now. I was also fortunate to have a friend who was in a 7 year relationship with a BPD gal, and I've had hours and hours of conversation with him, comparing notes, understanding traits, etc.

Did you read my last update, and the description of her behavior? Do most people have toddler tantrums in the car, pounding their bare feet and fists on the dashboard in anger, while screaming F-words? Do most people grab the steering wheel while the car is going 60mph and try t make it swerve out of control, as an expression of their emotional rage? Do most people ordinarily go around repeatedly telling YOU what you think and believe?

Just because it's still an amateur diagnosis of BPD at this point doesn't mean it's incorrect. Certainly it's incomplete, as there may be more than just BPD going on.

You primarily just insult people for not being licensed, credentialed experts. Most of her behavior would never be displayed for such an expert to observe, more like cleverly hidden, if the BP wishes to hide it. Perhaps trained BPD evaluators/therapists have a way around this, but certainly she's showing many, many BPD-like behaviors to me.

You offer no solutions or help here, only criticisms. So why do you bother?

[Phil N 4]

PhilN, I sincerely doubt that you will be ending your relationship with your fiancee. It's unfortunate because it sounds like it's quite toxic.

Your response to her comment about your hating her friends was excellent. Not because you responded well to her "BPD projection", but because you tried to understand why she would think that. You tried to clarify what she meant by that and what made her believe that. It showed that you were receptive to what she said even if her comment didn't make sense to you. I would suggest you stop using the fancy psychological jargon because it only creates emotional distance between you two. Most people project their feelings onto others, ranging from the most well-adjusted to the most primitive paranoid schizophrenic. We all use defense mechanisms. She seems to have difficulty tolerating strong, negative emotions.

Well, this seems to be an attempt to help, so perhaps my last post was too hasty. I instantly recognized she was projecting onto me, but couldn't quite remember the recommended communication skill to use, couldn't remember it to save my life. So I defaulted to trying to listen to the underlying feelings. I remembered the concept is to NOT take on the projected feelings, but to try to find a way to hand them back for the BP to identify and allow/encourage them to take responsibility for their own feelings. As I understand it, the BP thinks, "I'm feeling there is a serious problem here... it can't be me... it must be him..." and then invents something negative involving the other person (non-BP) to tag those negative feelings onto. And often they rearrange facts in their head to support their feelings, so they actually believe, or "feel" it to be true, in the moment, whatever it is they are projecting onto the other person. So arguing with a BP with facts and logic often won't be helpful in that moment.

Clearly, my response to the projection wasn't *that* effective. Right now, I'm worried less about psychological distance from her than I am about simply staying alive.

[nane1104 146]

PhilN, I sincerely doubt that you will be ending your relationship with your fiancee. It's unfortunate because it sounds like it's quite toxic.

Your response to her comment about your hating her friends was excellent. Not because you responded well to her "BPD projection", but because you tried to understand why she would think that. You tried to clarify what she meant by that and what made her believe that. It showed that you were receptive to what she said even if her comment didn't make sense to you. I would suggest you stop using the fancy psychological jargon because it only creates emotional distance between you two. Most people project their feelings onto others, ranging from the most well-adjusted to the most primitive paranoid schizophrenic. We all use defense mechanisms. She seems to have difficulty tolerating strong, negative emotions.

Ditto to the bolded line above.

I think people here would try a lot more to understand you and maybe have sympathy for you if you left out all the fancy psychological terminology. I get you mean well and you are trying hard to "get" your fiancee. The thing is- you admit yourself this is only your own assessment. Some of the behaviour she shows might be BPD, some might be bi-polar, some is some "normal", yet over the top defense mechanism.

Please do yourself and her the favor and have her professionally checked (if you haven't cut the cord already and have definitley decided to send her back home).

I don't know how you talk to her and how often you mention BPD to her, but to refer to her as "the BP" on here, like she is some kind of labrat, is a huge turn off.

Plus, if you DO talk to her about BPD, she might just turn it around on you and excuse all her tantrums and craziness on BPD or whatever else you told her she might suffer from, when in reality, she might just be a crazy, spoiled, never happy and satisfied brat.

[rlogan 2,036]

You are heavily fixated on manipulation and seem to see it everywhere around you.

Perfect! Thanks. You are right on script. Inviting me to get defensive about being mentally ill, and I'm not accepting the invitation.

I participate in conversations about manipulation. I am attracted to your responses because of their manipulative content. For example, accusing someone who points out your manipulative tactics of being mentally ill. This is classic manipulative shaming and deserves the spotlight. That's why I am here instead of a thread on the sputum test.

I noticed the evasion you practice too in acknowledging anything, while staying on the attack. It bears a striking resemblance to manipulative tactics too.

People who agree with your points of view are innocent people who fall prey to manipulative tactics. People who don't agree with you are the manipulators (who use manipulative tactics). You tend to see things in black and white. It's gotta be good. It simplifies life quite a bit

*yawn* Inviting me to prove this is not true, and good madam this relentless game of staying on the attack and demanding I defend is one I am not playing with you. You are not that good.

For me, it is clear that our conversation is absolutely meaningless. I am not really sure what you are trying to convince of. There is nothing that you will ever teach me about BPD.

I am not instructing you in BPD. Not sure where you got that idea. But wow are you defensive about it.

When you or PhilN will write on here about the difference between borderline personality organization vs. borderline personality disorder vs. borderline personality traits, I will take both of you seriously.

Thou hast a rather inflated opinion of one's self.

I only intervened

God has spoken? These symptoms here continue to bear striking resemblance to something...

in this conversation because of the BPD talk. If at least one person who reads here understands that BPD is a heterogenous category where people have different levels of impairment and respond to treatment idiosyncratically, I am happy.

Yes, your lordship.

Some people with BPD outgrow it with age. Others benefit from treatment. Other people will never be able to adaptively manage the emotional dysregulation.

How many times can you make the same elementary point? I don't see anyone disagreeing with that. It's the strawman again.

Hey, I acknowledge this point. You are saying that some people benefit from treatment, right? Other people don't. Is this concession to her highness sufficient? I mean, that's what is important, right? Making sure we defer to you?

You will not know how one particular person with supposedly BPD will respond to help. The ridiculous thing in this whole conversation is the fact that the poster's fiancee was actually diagnosed by her fiancee. He also happens to have zero background in psychology.

My goodness, please find a mirror. You seen impervious to your own hypocrisy.

First of all, someone does the responsible thing in studying the problem and all you have is contempt with "you're no psychologist". Invalidate him, baby - yeah I get it.

I have had very warm correspondence with Dr. Simon including his compliments reviewing something I published myself. He has no disdain for people like you do. He has a website, and if you look at how he interacts with people, this is someone who gives a great deal of deference to common people who have read enough to get the thrust of a study area. He's not sneering at them about how they have no psychology Phd, and tut-tutting everybody with "every case is different" tautologies as if we were children.

Haha - hey Phil N - here is a little test, buddy. See any red flags?

Edited August 9, 2011 by rlogan