[TML] Personal Armor Noise was Re: Current USAF fleet

[Tom B]

>  Yeah, but you see my point is that it isn't just the *guy* who is
>  sacrificing.  Many of the other things you would by are useful, even
>  important, thing for her and the kids.  It's the whole *family* sacrificing,
>  just so she can show off a hunk of rock to her girlfriends who probably
>  think he's a jerk anyway.

I do. But I've seen 'diamond envy' at work. I've also seen the looks
other women will give a woman if her diamond ring doesn't meet some
standard of expense/size/quality because the perception is her
significant other doesn't love her that much or he's not very good
spousal material because he has limited earning capacity or spending
habits.

I don't condone this utter facade, but it is part of a social and
cultural setup (largely constructed) that has a lot of power.

I would much rather have a nice ruby, emerald or sapphire but diamonds
are 'the thing'. And the consequences of failure can be bad and
lasting. The consequences of success can be little and fleeting. It's
not an inherently fair world unfortunately.

>  > Ultimately, that's what you are paying for. And our social conventions
>  > dictate that you can't just give them a $20,000 cheque. So, you go out
>  > and buy the most God-awful expensive pencil lead you'll ever buy. And
>  > hope things work out.
>
>  That's the worst part.  Odds are all too good that it's a *total* waste, as
>  most relationships *don't* work out.

My last $2500 worth of diamondry would agree with that, on some level.
I don't really think it was a waste because it was necessary to see
where things would go and that was the eventual cost. But in some
lenses, this could indeed seem like a waste. Depends if the journey
matters or only the destination to some extent.

>  Ob Trav:  Once diamonds and other such rare items can be easily synthesized
>  to the point that nobody can tell the difference, what will women demand
>  then?  Or will marriage be a thing of the past anyway?  (Is it now?)

Rare things that cannot be synthesized (well, the discerning Imperial
Noblewoman). I'm sure there are equally bogus social aspects on any of
the N planets in the Imperium and outside it.

Marriage will also be a thing of difference from place to place. In
some places, you'll have monogamous exclusive marriage for life. In
other places, term marriages. In others, polygamy. In some, marriage
may be an outlawed rite that only an underground practice. In some, it
may be enforced, much like in some small cults today (polygamist,
bigamist, whatever). In some cases, it might have age limits (or
none). Marriages between species, group marriages, corporate
sort-of-marriages, hippy communes... you name it, it'll all exist
somewhere.