Ack. I am so, so, so sorry you went through all of that, especially with your dog and the hurricane. You acted a lot better than I would have. When we split, I cut off all contact with my ex entirely. I saw him at work once, and I pretended I didn't know him (well I don't think I ever did anyway) and kept walking.…

He clearly signed something. He didn't know what it was, but he signed legal documents.

But he did sign legal papers giving up his rights. He claimed to not know what those legal papers meant after he signed them, but he signed them of his own free will nonetheless.

But he did formally surrender his rights. Just because he claims he didn't know (until after the fact) what he was signing doesn't make it any less valid. That's what attorneys are for.

But he also told her. It's down to he said/she said.

And so we arrive at two conflicting questions: do you uphold the current law or do you do what's in the best interest of the child?

I still don't buy he "accidentally" gave up his parental rights. I think he had no problem giving them up and refusing to pay child support when he thought his ex was going to be a single parent to their child. When he found out their child was put up for adoption, THEN he wanted her back. He stated multiple times…

Of course. But then I don't want to hear, "Well I was gonna ask you out first, but now it's just weird..." and "I don't know. This kinda ruined things..." or "If I wanted to ask you out, I would have done it myself." etc etc

Your last line makes a lot of sense. Back when I would ask guys out (I stopped doing it around 1999 after some hilariously humiliating experiences), I had that problem. If I made the first move, I'd do everything else too or we just...wouldn't go out but when we were together he acted like he was enjoying himself. …

You should have replied back to him, "I don't like it when men make the first move. Sorry."

I just posted on this earlier. Consider the alternative. If a guy came out and said that he hated being asked out, he'd be pegged as an insecure jerk. Would anyone ever admit that?

Yeah. But why are you uninterested? I'm not saying you have to have fallacy-proof reasons. I'm just curious as to why something more has rarely? never? materialized from a woman asking you out first.

Yeah but WHY don't you have any interest in any of the girls that have asked you? Have you deeply examined that? (Not being sarcastic. Just a question.)

And those guys are EXACTLY the type to praise women's rights, equality, etc. etc.

If you judge a woman for "making the first move," please advertise up front your deep deep prejudice.

Are you trying to tell me that the Snackwell and Olean campaigns didn't work!??!?!?!?!

If you're looking to the fast food industry for healthy options, you've got bigger problems than which french fry to buy.

I really resent the sexual undertones in this story, yours, and mine. It's that automatic hypocritical, double standard response: girls->something remotely sexual-> DISASTER! I rarely see that hysterical response when it comes to young boys. When I do it's more of a "Aw well you screwed up, do better next time"…

My parents had already paid for the venue. I found out later in "counseling" that he had no intention of marrying me as money was being put down. He just "didn't know what else to do" other than sit there.

This is like that time George W. Bush compared himself to Gary Cooper's character in High Noon.