With each part I got a small piece of myself back

November 18, 2011 3:54 PM

Guy buys engagement ring. Guy gets dumped. Guy sells engagement ring and buys a fully armored Master Chief suit.

The guy's blog and more pix.

posted by desjardins (115 comments total)

I don't know much about Halo but I still love this. Good for him.
posted by sweetkid at 3:55 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

Now all he needs is a few friends and some Red vs. Blue scripts and he could be quite popular on the videogame theater circuit.
posted by hippybear at 3:57 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

TREAT YO SELF!
posted by auto-correct at 4:03 PM on November 18, 2011 [24 favorites]

That's better than what happened to me. Maybe.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 4:05 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Personally, I would have bought something else, but more power to ya, brother!
posted by freakazoid at 4:06 PM on November 18, 2011

Master Chief is a faceless man of few words. He’s easy to identify with.

Speak for yourself, pal; I have a face and I basically don't shut up.
posted by pts at 4:06 PM on November 18, 2011 [9 favorites]

A Philly guy I can see. I liked the article.
posted by electricsandwich138 at 4:07 PM on November 18, 2011

Cool! All I did was leave the continent he was on. has it only been 6 months?
posted by infini at 4:07 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

I admit, my first thought was, "how much did he spend on this thing to be able to make enough on resale to afford anything of note". Years ago, I was once in a very ill-advised engagement. I kept the ring because he kept my TV and a few other things, it was pretty amicable since we were just so, so incompatible. He'd moved (with my TV) shortly before we made the final decision.

I still have the thing in a box somewhere because without the original paperwork, I couldn't seem to sell it for any price, but even the places I called about the original paperwork were not quoting me enough to replace my then-$300 TV, when the ring itself had originally cost wayyyy more than that. But I don't think buying a costume with it is really that weird. I probably would have just dropped the whole thing on another CRT television, and *that* I would have regretted.
posted by gracedissolved at 4:08 PM on November 18, 2011

A cosplaya gotta play, I guess. Enjoy man!
posted by jeffburdges at 4:10 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

You know, when I got dumped bad, I started working out hard, made a ton of new beautiful friends, started a rock band and wrote a bunch of songs about how shitty my ex was to me, went back to school and generally went on to live a very excellent life while she's still stuck with what's his name in their crappy home town living in that shitty basement apartment. I mean, maybe I would have felt a little better if I had a super cool costume to jump into when I felt sorry for myself, but this really isn't a great way to handle a break up long term. But good for him. Indulge yourself, man.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:11 PM on November 18, 2011 [21 favorites]

I still have the thing in a box somewhere because without the original paperwork, I couldn't seem to sell it for any price, but even the places I called about the original paperwork were not quoting me enough to replace my then-$300 TV, when the ring itself had originally cost wayyyy more than that.

Well, that's because retail jewelry and resale jewelry are two entirely different pricepoint markets.

Retail is usually triple-keyed, meaning that they're charging you 3x what the total cost of materials, design, manufacture, and finishing cost to make the object.

Resale, they generally will only pay for the materials in the object, unless there is a real designer name (Tiffany, for example) attached, or unless the object is really old and has materials which are hard to find anymore (like antiquated cuts of diamond, or some gemstones which are basically impossible to find anymore).

It's one of the first things one needs to learn about jewelry if you're the kind of person to own or purchase it -- retail jewelry prices are WAY above the actual cost of the object. There are ways around this, but it rarely involves walking into a jewelry store.
posted by hippybear at 4:13 PM on November 18, 2011 [12 favorites]

QED
posted by run"monty at 4:16 PM on November 18, 2011

We were poor students when we got married 32 years ago and couldn't afford an engagement ring of any kind. I wear my grandmother's wedding ring which is nice because I was named for her, but also solved the problem of needing to spend money on it.

But reading this story and the comments makes me a little wistful that I don't have an engagement ring. Or Halo armor.
posted by angiep at 4:17 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

Way to get back on the horse, bub.
posted by LoudMusic at 4:18 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

We were poor students, and I dislike wearing more than one ring, so we bought each other matching silver bands ($6 each) and upgraded to gold at the wedding. Much cheaper proposition, though he still owes me his half of the $12.00 plus tax (I paid for both).
posted by jb at 4:25 PM on November 18, 2011 [6 favorites]

But he just made me tea, so I forgive him.
posted by jb at 4:26 PM on November 18, 2011 [46 favorites]

Is chucked common in American speech for thrown? I thogut it was UK English only.
posted by biffa at 4:32 PM on November 18, 2011

Well, it's well known that American woodchucks do chuck wood, although exactly how much they chuck remains open to debate.
posted by hippybear at 4:34 PM on November 18, 2011 [18 favorites]

Guy sells engagement ring and buys a fully armored Master Chief suit.

Guy turns into MOTHERFUCKING HERO.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:41 PM on November 18, 2011 [11 favorites]

Is chucked common in American speech for thrown? I thogut it was UK English only.

Yes. Although I almost only hear it applied to inelegantly heaving something, usually as a means to just get rid of it.
posted by midmarch snowman at 4:44 PM on November 18, 2011

When my lesbian ex-fiancee let me know she was coming back from the peace corps with someone else I continued to wear the ring for about 4 months.

Our rings were cheap silver ($20). I eventually threw mine out of the sunroof on 68 near Cumberland MD, if anyone wants to go look for it.

I just celebrated my 6th wedding anniversary with Mrs Poe, who is entirely more fun and compatible.

The rings Mrs Poe and I exchanged were heavy mokume-gane and are impractical for daily use.

Now I wear another cheap silver ring, though it has quite a bit more wabi sabi than anything else I own.

I've started to think of this cheap silver ring as pretty important. I wonder if that means I should replace it with something even more disposable.

The practical upshot is that there is a lot of love out there and the sooner you get past the mistakes the sooner you can get into something good.
posted by poe at 4:46 PM on November 18, 2011 [3 favorites]

From TFA: ..terribly uncomfortable and hot when I’m wearing it..

I read cosplayers whine about this constantly. You'd think with all the money geeks blow on armor like this, they would spring for a liquid cooled shirt.
posted by charlie don't surf at 4:46 PM on November 18, 2011

I need two people to help me put it on, it takes up way too much space in my living room, and is terribly uncomfortable and hot when I’m wearing it. At conventions and events, when I opt to show it off, I have to walk incredibly slow, as to avoid tipping over and possibly breaking something — either in the suit or a part of my body.

I hope he didn't spend too much.
posted by Max Power at 4:48 PM on November 18, 2011

I think Halo is a pretty cool guy. Eh sells engaegment ring and doesn't afraid of anything.
posted by ignignokt at 4:54 PM on November 18, 2011 [17 favorites]

Girl Makes Major Life Decision, Finds Decision Spectacularly Validated.
posted by gurple at 4:56 PM on November 18, 2011 [7 favorites]

Girl Makes Major Life Decision, Finds Decision Spectacularly Validated.

Would that decision be where she cheated on him repeatedly, or where she told him about it in a car while listening to a mix CD that was a gift to her from her new boyfriend? I'm unclear.
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:03 PM on November 18, 2011 [24 favorites]

Mainly I'm snarking for snark's sake, I'll admit, but consider the girlfriend's perspective.

Everyone likes to think they chose the right path, when they make big decisions like leaving a relationship. We like to think that the people we left behind were bad for us, and that we're better off without them.

Many people would think that a multi-thousand-dollar suit of Halo armor is, as a purchasing decision, indicative of character qualities that are best left in the rearview mirror, relationship-wise.

I'm not saying the guy isn't a good guy, or that buying the armor makes him a bad person. I'm just saying that, from the girlfriend's perspective, it'd be very easy to hear this and go straight to "Whew! I dodged a bullet there!"
posted by gurple at 5:07 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

Wouldn't that sort of depend on what the girlfriend was into? If she's a big Halo fan or cosplayer, I doubt she'd see buying a cool costume as a character flaw.
posted by Errant at 5:11 PM on November 18, 2011

Well, that's a fair point. But I would posit that, even if she would have considered the purchase awesome while she was together with the guy, or even in the absence of having ever met the guy, she likely thinks it's ridiculous now. That's how thinking about exes works, a lot of the time.
posted by gurple at 5:14 PM on November 18, 2011

As a straight guy, I would marry that dude.
posted by Slinga at 5:15 PM on November 18, 2011 [9 favorites]

Everyone likes to think they chose the right path, when they make big decisions like leaving a relationship. We like to think that the people we left behind were bad for us, and that we're better off without them.

Many people would think that a multi-thousand-dollar suit of Halo armor is, as a purchasing decision, indicative of character qualities that are best left in the rearview mirror, relationship-wise.

What was it in that other thread. Frank Miller calling something childish or immature, maybe? Great pot-kettle moment. Anyway. Sure, this guy spent what must have been thousands on this suit. Which he now has fun with. But yeah, instead, it could have been a rock on somebody's finger.

Somebody's fate just got validated, that's for sure.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:21 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

Many people would think that a multi-thousand-dollar suit of Halo armor is, as a purchasing decision, indicative of character qualities that are best left in the rearview mirror, relationship-wise.

Really? I've dated a lot of women who purchased things that I never would consider "smart" purchases. One of my exes, on a grad student's income, saved up for and purchased custom-made alligator-skin boots, which she very rarely ever wore, but loved dearly. And I didn't consider that a flaw. Because she loved them, didn't regret the purchase, didn't let herself go hungry to get them, and did a thing that made her happy.

Cars. Shoes. Season tickets to professional sports. 19th century first editions. Few want them. But would choosing to spend a ton of money on them disqualify someone as a partner, simply because they spent money on something they wanted, didn't need, and which you personally don't care about?
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:23 PM on November 18, 2011 [30 favorites]

Y'know, I was hesitant to click on the links. I've become conditioned to assume that any combination of gaming fan (...is Halo a game...?) and cheating girlfriend would inevitably result in a disheartening sexist tirade.

But this was not that. No. She cheated. She left. He was hurt very badly. He did something to make himself feel better. End of.

I love this guy.
posted by dumdidumdum at 5:24 PM on November 18, 2011 [22 favorites]

Oh sure, I think conversely he can probably go back through a bunch of shit and say, man, glad I don't have to put up with that anymore. The cheating on him part, for one. I guess your point would be that any ex will find a reason to validate the decision to become an ex, especially when it's their decision, and I'd probably agree with that. I'm not a huge fan of propping up the "nerd dudes are unattractive to women because of all their nerdery" stereotype, is all.
posted by Errant at 5:25 PM on November 18, 2011

Am I the only one who misread the title, and went to the article expecting an answer to the question "what the heck is a fully armored Master Chef suit?"
posted by PranaBoy at 5:28 PM on November 18, 2011 [39 favorites]

I'm digging the idea that he never fully let's go of the armor as a part of his life, because I'm imagining how awesome it would be to be in a meeting at work, in a nice suit and tie, with the Spartan helmet on.

It is a look I would be proud to rock.
posted by quin at 5:31 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

If you never do anything purely for yourself, you are a slave to your circumstances. I salute Master Chief guy and hope he has better luck in love in the future.
posted by localroger at 5:32 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

If I ever get engaged I am going skip a step and present my intended with master chief armor, if she declines I'll know she wasn't the right one.

I bet his ex is kicking herself right now, she will never be married to a guy with kick ass video game inspired armor.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:34 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm wondering how many AskMe answers are going to change into "DTMFA, then get your Master Chief on."
posted by Errant at 5:39 PM on November 18, 2011 [20 favorites]

We're I In the same situation, I would do the same thing, except it would be a Daft Punk outfit.
posted by 4ster at 5:41 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

Thanks for making me aware of Geekadelphia, the site he runs. Great stuff.
posted by Diskeater at 5:54 PM on November 18, 2011

gurple: Girl Makes Major Life Decision, Finds Decision Spectacularly Validated.

hippybear: Now all he needs is a few friends and some Red vs. Blue scripts and he could be quite popular on the videogame theater circuit.

I hate this kind of stereotyping. Gurple, I know you backpedaled a bit on your statement, and I'm sure you were just having fun, hippybear, but we have no reason to suspect that this guy isn't surrounded by willing women and stalwart friends just because he is a gamer.

The tired old "Socially awkward gamer eating Cheetos in his Mom's basement" stereotype seriously needs to die already. Gaming is mainstream now, the most popular kids do it, and what's more the latest studies show that more women than ever are gamers, too.

Besides, Master Chief is cool.
posted by misha at 5:57 PM on November 18, 2011 [5 favorites]

PranaBoy: "what the heck is a fully armored Master Chef suit?"

I'm thinking it would include protection against hot water or oil splashing; heat resistant hands to make potholders redundant; a visor that would protect the eyes from onion fumes; somehow attached chef's knive, paring knife, vegetable peeler, spatula, and spoon; maybe something of a powered exoskeleton to assist in lifting heavy pots; and perhaps spouts for dispensing oil/preferred spices/etc.
posted by JiBB at 6:00 PM on November 18, 2011 [11 favorites]

’m nailing the hell out this tool I met in karate class and while we’ve been driving in my car, you and I have been listening to the terrible mix CD he made me and now you’ll never be able to hear Alkaline Trio without wanting to fucking kill yourself.”

This is sad to me in part because Alkaline Trio have made suicide prevention kind of a major cause of theirs. (I don't like the band, but I have to appreciate this.)

Also, this makes me very, very glad that almost all of my breakups have been largely amicable.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:03 PM on November 18, 2011

It's one of the first things one needs to learn about jewelry if you're the kind of person to own or purchase it -- retail jewelry prices are WAY above the actual cost of the object.

Two points:

Retail jewelry chains triple key (or more) their stuff. Zales alone runs huge markups so they can have those huge sales. I'm sure this varies by market, but a whole bunch of independent jewelers don't do that. In fact, every jeweler I know (and I know a bunch) actually reduces their markup, the larger the diamond you buy.

Second, operating costs for a jewelry store are huge. Insurance alone is extremely expensive. it's been a long time since I worked in the industry, but at that time, the US national average was that a store's operating costs were over 40% of its retail volume. So if you just put a 2x markup on a piece, you're selling on pretty thin margins. That might be tolerable if most of your sales are for high-end stuff, but the vast majority of retailers serve working-class customers who rarely if ever make a big purchase.

All this to say, non-chain retailers aren't running a racket here. Most of them in fact are struggling to survive right now.
posted by middleclasstool at 6:10 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

This just in...

Gamer geek gets dumped for sexier guy who doesn't spend his life behind his computer. Gets bitter. Becomes a cosplayer!
posted by markkraft at 6:30 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

So... do you think his Master Chief suit has a SPH?
posted by markkraft at 6:33 PM on November 18, 2011

I'm sure you were just having fun, hippybear, but we have no reason to suspect that this guy isn't surrounded by willing women and stalwart friends just because he is a gamer.

Um... do you even know what Red vs. Blue is? It's not the kind of production he could put on alone. I think it has a basic cast of 6, or maybe 8, or is it 10? I can't remember.

If you thought my statement was somehow saying that he's a hurf-durf loner gamer who can't find friends, I think that says more about your own projection into my statement than any words I actually typed.
posted by hippybear at 6:42 PM on November 18, 2011

Two points:

Yeah, I've worked in two high-volume high end jewelry production houses both of which did custom work on the side, and have done side-work on my own for myself and others. I'm pretty well aware of exactly how the jewelry pricing thing works.

Basically, they lower the markup with the big diamonds because the big diamonds carry their own markup.
posted by hippybear at 6:44 PM on November 18, 2011

This just in...

Gamer geek Well read, entrepreneurial geek and (sounds like) adjunct professor at Pierce College gets dumped for sexier guy who doesn't spend his life behind his computer grown man taking karate classes. Gets bitter awesome. Becomes a cosplayer Spartan!
posted by Roman Graves at 6:59 PM on November 18, 2011 [13 favorites]

Basically, they lower the markup with the big diamonds because the big diamonds carry their own markup.

I have no idea what this means. A retailer buys a diamond at a set price. They mark it up, the larger the stone, the smaller the markup.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:02 PM on November 18, 2011

Haha, "grown man taking karate classes." Game, set, match guy-who-isn't-shitting-on-guy-whose-girlfriend-left-him.
posted by nathancaswell at 7:03 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

I hate this kind of stereotyping. Gurple, I know you backpedaled a bit on your statement...

I'm open to the idea that I was stereotyping, but I'm not sure how. I wasn't saying anything about the guy. I was saying that the girl is probably looking at what her ex did with a ridiculous amount of money and is thinking that she made a great choice by leaving him behind.

I'm saying that based on two ideas: 1. as evidenced by the fact that this story is interesting, most people are not willing to spend that kind of money on a costume; and 2. people like to feel good about having left their exes.
posted by gurple at 7:05 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Basically, they lower the markup with the big diamonds because the big diamonds carry their own markup.

I have no idea what this means.

If you're buying a huge stone, a jewelry maker can afford to cut down on the markup on the rest of the cost of the piece of jewelry (the metal, the bench time, the finishing) because the large stones can carry more of the total cost.
posted by hippybear at 7:09 PM on November 18, 2011

Incidentally, I'm not arguing with the idea that the girl is the villain, here. She did a terrible thing. That doesn't mean that her perspective on the event suddenly ends just because this guy wrote up the story with him as the protagonist.

Also, I mostly agree with folks above who noted that a band of metal with a rock in it is no less silly a thing than a costume, and perhaps it's more silly in some ways since you can't do anything with the ring, really. "Mostly" only enters the above sentence because, as evidenced by the article, jewelry holds its value. If the guy gets tired of the costume someday, he'll probably be out at least 75% of what he paid.
posted by gurple at 7:09 PM on November 18, 2011

For the thing that if she wore it her friends would oooh and aaah over, he got the thing that when he wears it, his friends oooh and aaah over. [plus half the interwebs] I think he got the long end of this stick.
posted by infini at 7:14 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

Regarding the jewellery pricing. Tripling the cost of the stones is standard. It sounds weird until you realize that the tripling covers the overhead (cost of heating lighting and renting the store), staffing, manufacturing the object (or paying for it to be manufactured) and all the other costs.
If you want fun though, from what I have heard walmart doesn't even pay its jewllery suppliers for the metal, or the labor, or shipping or anything, the supplier is expected to make their entire profit from mark up on the stones. Its called the baggie pricing model, because that fancy gold band is just a bag to hold the stones in until the customer buys it.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 7:16 PM on November 18, 2011

Anyone know where he got it? The most expensive ones I can find are under 1k, which is expensive for a costume but not an extreme amount of money.
posted by Ad hominem at 7:18 PM on November 18, 2011

Cars. Shoes. Season tickets to professional sports. 19th century first editions. Few want them. But would choosing to spend a ton of money on them disqualify someone as a partner, simply because they spent money on something they wanted, didn't need, and which you personally don't care about?

This. Really, what is so outrageous about a suit the guy loves over an overpriced (three times markup, think about that) rock that is in essence a contract. You are obliged to return it if the wedding gets called off, that's the law in a lot of places. Would it have been better if he had to hang on to it? Never do anything with it? Is it the fact that it's geeky that people have trouble with?

Besides, Master Chief is cool.

"I'm a master chief now. Master Chief is cool." <- next season of Doctor Who. ;)
posted by usagizero at 7:26 PM on November 18, 2011 [3 favorites]

This guy is my friend. He is in fact a very cool dude. He has pet chinchillas, just came out with a novel, plays saxophone and is generally a really nice, thoughtful guy.

Any woman would be lucky to have him, and I'm sure this story (on Yahoo and frontpaged Reddit) is going to get him some well-deserved female interest!
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:29 PM on November 18, 2011 [27 favorites]

Yeah, there isn't much he can do with an engagement ring. I think it is considered bad form to re-engage with a ring you tried to give to someone else. I can imagine the DTMFs coming from askme if someone asked about a situation where a guy tried to give her a "used" engagement ring.

Many worse ways to squander your money besides an awesome fun costume.
posted by Ad hominem at 7:32 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

If you're buying a huge stone, a jewelry maker can afford to cut down on the markup on the rest of the cost of the piece of jewelry (the metal, the bench time, the finishing) because the large stones can carry more of the total cost.

You misunderstand me. The small independent jewelers I know lower the markup on the diamonds themselves, the larger they get. It's a very common practice in that market, done to try to increase business and make engagement rings more affordable to people who aren't used to dropping four figures on something that isn't a car or house.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:41 PM on November 18, 2011

Any chance we'll get video/photos of Master Chief either playing a sax or else playing with chinchillas, rachaelfaith, because either sounds pretty cool. :)
posted by jeffburdges at 7:48 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

That may be. None of this actually has anything to do with the resale value of the jewelry in question, because anyone buying it is only paying for the actual value of the materials and not any of the craftsmanship (except in rare cases) or retail markup. That was the point I was addressing in my original comment.
posted by hippybear at 7:49 PM on November 18, 2011

"I feel like there is this misconception about people that are passionate about costumes, whether they are dressed as someone from a videogame, comic book, or anime, and I never quite understood it until I walked my first convention floor. Outsiders think costumers immerse themselves in another character to get away from who they really are — that they are geeks that could never quite cut it, and need to ditch reality for a few hours.
They’re wrong though. Within that shell, whether its made of cardboard, plastic, fabric, fiberglass, or steel, hidden away there is a figure worthy of attention. It’s the person who put all their heart and soul into a project, and now they’re wearing their work all over them."

This guy is amazing, and really seems to have his head screwed on straight. Thanks, desjardins, this was a great read!
posted by lonefrontranger at 8:08 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Meh, I've never been a big Halo fan. Now, Batman...

The tired old "Socially awkward gamer eating Cheetos in his Mom's basement" stereotype seriously needs to die already.

The most obsessive gamer I know is my cousin, who's a happily married plumber, former football player jocky-jock type, and who games practically his entire waking life when he's not working or on a hunting trip.
posted by dirigibleman at 8:55 PM on November 18, 2011

misha: "The tired old "Socially awkward gamer eating Cheetos in his Mom's basement" stereotype seriously needs to die already. "

I am a straight male who plays video games. That is to say I'm on a similar demographic group as the dumpee in this story. I am not a part of that stereotype. I have a job, wife, friends, hobbies that don't involve glowing rectangles. I have stopped eating Cheetos and moved out of my mom's basement ages ago.

Now.

"And not just some of it, but every last penny. On something I always wanted, but could never afford. Something that would make me feel a little less empty inside."

The dumper, she could have slept with the guy's parents in a threesome for all I care. Whatever she did, she was proven right in her decision to dump manboy. Sorry, but this is not an acceptable rebound for anyone over fourteen and it's made doubly ridiculous by the fact that he bragged about it on the internet.

"Something that would make me feel a little less empty inside." Sheesh. I'd have more respect for him if he had spent the money on hookers and blow. You know that trend people are writing books and articles and thesis about, about men refusing to grow up and not knowing what masculinity is, about man caves and bromance and whatnot? There you go, another example.
posted by falameufilho at 8:58 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]

What is masculinity? Please enlighten us.
posted by hippybear at 9:06 PM on November 18, 2011 [11 favorites]

Sorry, but this is not an acceptable rebound for anyone over fourteen and it's made doubly ridiculous by the fact that he bragged about it on the internet.

Thank you Lord High Godhead of the Universe. Any other wisdom the rest of us should be living our lives with? What is the acceptable rebound for discovering your fiance is a hobag?
posted by rodgerd at 9:25 PM on November 18, 2011 [5 favorites]

I'd have more respect for him if he had spent the money on hookers and blow.

Hookers and blow is clearly the more mature response in this situation. Your knuckles must be calloused from all the fist bumps you give to your bros.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:30 PM on November 18, 2011 [28 favorites]

Sorry, but this is not an acceptable rebound for anyone over fourteen and it's made doubly ridiculous by the fact that he bragged about it on the internet.

I'm inclined to believe that the appropriate way to overcome depression and suicidal tendencies is WHATEVER WORKS.

That you suggest harmful and addictive drugs as a superior use of money for people suffering emotional trauma is completely ridiculous. Hey, maybe he could have become an alcoholic too! If substance abuse is better than looking nerdy then at least looking for answers at the bottom of a bottle is legal right?

This attitude is the scourge that is killing men.
posted by Winnemac at 9:43 PM on November 18, 2011 [9 favorites]

I'm inclined to believe that the appropriate way to overcome depression and suicidal tendencies is WHATEVER WORKS

Yeah. I said earlier I don't know anything about Halo. I know a lot of people who are really into gaming and I'm not for whatever reason, but I don't look down on it at all.

I just really identified with someone who wanted to do a big, kind of frivolous thing because he was in pain and he thought this might help or end his pain. It's touching and human and understandable and also just kind of awesome.
posted by sweetkid at 9:48 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

There is something strangely poetic about the idea of a heartbroken guy who retreats into a faceless metal shell, which in turn is metaphorically made from the symbol of his lost love. Sort of like Darth Vader, but without all the sucky prequel jive.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:49 PM on November 18, 2011 [3 favorites]

I love this guy.
posted by Nattie at 10:26 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

gurple: "...jewelry holds its value."

bwaahahaha oh man
posted by danny the boy at 10:47 PM on November 18, 2011 [5 favorites]

"Whatever she did, she was proven right in her decision to dump manboy. Sorry, but this is not an acceptable rebound for anyone over fourteen and it's made doubly ridiculous by the fact that he bragged about it on the internet."

Well, that is not an acceptable opinion for an intelligent educated adult to have. Sorry, but you'll have to change it.
posted by dickasso at 11:18 PM on November 18, 2011 [4 favorites]

Guy buys engagement ring. Guy gets dumped. Guy sells engagement ring and buys a fully armored Master Chief suit.

Girl realizes she did the right thing.
posted by ReeMonster at 11:19 PM on November 18, 2011

I think the main lesson I'm taking from this is never date someone with sensibilities endearing to the internet and a blog.
posted by midmarch snowman at 11:21 PM on November 18, 2011

Girl realizes she did the right thing.

I would dump you for making a joke that was already made in this thread and roundly dismissed.

Then I would buy a Master Chief suit.
posted by auto-correct at 11:24 PM on November 18, 2011 [11 favorites]

This guy is my friend. He is in fact a very cool dude. He has pet chinchillas, just came out with a novel, plays saxophone and is generally a really nice, thoughtful guy.

Any woman would be lucky to have him, and I'm sure this story (on Yahoo and frontpaged Reddit) is going to get him some well-deserved female interest!

Uh... would you know if he's single?
posted by infini at 11:28 PM on November 18, 2011

Yeah it definitely doesn't look like round dismissal for the whole "She did the right thing." camp.
posted by ReeMonster at 11:38 PM on November 18, 2011

Computer gamers' brains 'differ'
posted by infini at 11:46 PM on November 18, 2011

I read this as a Master Chef suit and thought he'd changed himself into Greg Wallace. This made the article seem mildly disapointing.
posted by quarsan at 12:14 AM on November 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

It's one of the first things one needs to learn about jewelry if you're the kind of person to own or purchase it -- retail jewelry prices are WAY above the actual cost of the object. There are ways around this, but it rarely involves walking into a jewelry store.

This a thousand times. I was _this_ close to getting suckered into buying into the marketing crap ("It's traditional to get into penury and spend three times your salary because she's WORTH IT"), before I stepped back and made actual enquiries across the supply-chain network. Ended up getting a ring for easily one-third of what was being sold over the counter. As a further advantage, I was able to even work with the guy to slightly personalize the ring, have some custom adjustments and so on.

_{(We're married now, for those keeping the score at home.)}

There is something strangely poetic about the idea of a heartbroken guy who retreats into a faceless metal shell, which in turn is metaphorically made from the symbol of his lost love. Sort of like Darth Vader, but without all the sucky prequel jive.

My first reaction was this is purdah, man-style with a techno fetish. :) Friends who've worn the purdah tell me that, comfort and style issues apart (and that can be easily resolved by the right fabric and colour/ pattern), purdah can actually give the wearer a certain advantage in social dynamics, mainly because you can see the other person, but the other person can't judge your reaction and so on. I'm thinking this guy would have the exact same dynamic here.
posted by the cydonian at 12:45 AM on November 19, 2011

Crap, my least favorite part of real-life breakups is picking which side I'm on. Now I apparently have to come to Metafilter and deal with that drama over some people on the internet?
posted by lantius at 12:51 AM on November 19, 2011

You know that trend people are writing books and articles and thesis about, about men refusing to grow up and not knowing what masculinity is, about man caves and bromance and whatnot?

Trend, what trend? If I'm not wrong, weren't there exactly two pieces talking about this?
posted by the cydonian at 1:03 AM on November 19, 2011

"This guy is my friend. . . Any woman would be lucky to have him..."

So... why not you?

"Friend" -- the kiss of death. At least you didn't say he was nice too. ;-)
posted by markkraft at 1:09 AM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

markkraft: So... why not you?

Real life isn't When Harry Met Sally. People are actually allowed to be friends with other people of the gender(s) they're attracted to without having to date them.
posted by i feel possessed at 3:09 AM on November 19, 2011 [8 favorites]

I was in a band for years with Eric Smith. This story's popping up everywhere, so I'm not surprised to see it on the Blue, but it's still cool.

He's a great guy and seems to be doing well for himself.
posted by defenestration at 6:47 AM on November 19, 2011

That suit of armor will hold its value better than some trashy piece of gold and carbon. Diamonds are worthless, and jewelry has terrible resale value. She dumped him, but I'm pretty sure he got lucky in not staying with her.
posted by Slinga at 7:04 AM on November 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Her ring wasn’t perfect. After being reshaped, the white gold band was smudged and uneven. The diamond, instead of a traditional, glittering transparent gem, was a canary yellow, her favorite color. She’d spoken at length about her dream engagement ring, how she wanted the diamond to be this specific, light shade of yellow. It looked blemished, yes, but that’s how she wanted it. And that’s how she was, really. Imperfect but still seemingly perfect.



...at least you'll always have the Master Chief armored suit and the blogosphere...
posted by 200burritos at 8:06 AM on November 19, 2011

"Am I the only one who misread the title, and went to the article expecting an answer to the question "what the heck is a fully armored Master Chef suit?"

No.

I love this guy. Nice one, Master Chief. I salute you.

For all the years I was in my relationship I'd never taken off my ring. Not once. Not even when my finger started growing around it. On the day things finally officially ended I went to a club to cheer myself up, and don't know if it was because it was cold out or what, but the thing just fell off my finger in the club. I heard it ping of the floor and roll away across the dancefloor.

My first instinct was: "OhshitWTFmyringmyringmyring!!", and I started crawling around on the floor looking for it. Then I remembered it no longer had the deep meaning it once had, that I made decisions solely for me now, and that I was living in a place I no longer had any connection to.

So I just stopped looking for it, danced all night and left it there.

I finished my degree (that I'd started after our separation) and started doing all the things I'd thought about doing in the places I'd dreamt about going but didn't because my other half wasn't interested. It's a journey that's allowed me to meet interesting people in some amazing places, and there's no end to it in sight. I'm growing and learning every day and when I made the initial decision everyone in my life at the time thought it was a big mistake. Everyone thought it was crazy and asked why, why, why? And none of this positive would have ever happened without the negative. I can't even remember what my life before was like. It feels like 10 lifetimes ago.

I like to think that someone else found that ring and put it on ("My Precious..!") and had it almost destroy them too, helping them realize what's really important in life, before they too lost it again.

Screw what everyone else thinks Master Chief. Enjoy your life.
posted by tbonicus at 8:09 AM on November 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Great, now I want a fully armored Master Chef suit.
posted by hippybear at 8:11 AM on November 19, 2011

this is not an acceptable rebound for anyone over fourteen

Unsurprisingly, you're wronger than wrong. I've never heard of Master Chief before this; I don't play computer games (and I'd much rather have a pair of custom-made alligator-skin boots than a suit of armour, personally). But I can assure you, with 100% certainty, that this way of dealing with a breakup isn't any more embarrassing than most of the ways people get over breakups and considerably less embarrassing than having awkward coked-up sex with a prostitute.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:58 AM on November 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

Halo didn't exist yet back when I got divorced, but even if it had I think I still would have done better with my recovery program of growing my hair long and drinking heavily for a couple years.
posted by aught at 9:23 AM on November 19, 2011

I'm imagining how awesome it would be to be in a meeting at work, in a nice suit and tie, with the Spartan helmet on.

You know what they say: dress for the job you want.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:29 AM on November 19, 2011 [7 favorites]

Hookers and blow is clearly the more mature response in this situation.

They might be fine with you blowing a grand on a toy spaceman suit, but most women *never* validate the hookers and blow option.

Aside from the blow-sniffing hookers. They'll give it two thumbs up.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:00 PM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

The only thing that really disappoints me about this is learning that it's difficult to move around inside of stuff like this.
posted by maxwelton at 12:16 PM on November 19, 2011

What's most important about the blow-sniffing hookers is exactly where their thumbs go.
posted by hippybear at 12:20 PM on November 19, 2011

Real life isn't When Harry Met Sally. People are actually allowed to be friends with other people of the gender(s) they're attracted to without having to date them.

Oh absolutely. But at the same time, I've been on the receiving end of that "any woman would be lucky to have you" pep talk, and there's no getting away from the fact that if you are female, not romantically interested in the dude, and delivering that pep talk, there's an implied (except me) there that you can't get away from; even if he's not interested in you, if he knows you're not interested in him, you are the living counterexample to the point you're trying to make. And "any woman would be lucky to have you (except me)" doesn't have quite the same feel-good impact. Fair or not, that's one pep talk that just works better coming from another guy.
posted by mstokes650 at 2:19 PM on November 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

this blog (games saved my life) is all about people who's lives got better through video games. If you are wanting more of the same type of story.
posted by jonbro at 3:15 PM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Actually, as utterly nerdy as this is, I'm pretty sure it's one of the better ways to deal with a breakup: certainly no worse than hookers and blow, vast numbers of drunken nights out with very supportive and patient friends, red sports cars, long trips to India or plastic surgery. It is infinitely better than the ever-popular "days spent sobbing in the fetal position" option.

That said, his ex was not necessarily a hobag: she told him the truth, painful as it was, and she did that before their marriage (and maybe even before he'd proposed, since he still had the ring at the time of the breakup). Sometimes you realize, too late, that you're not with the right person. She's probably happier with Karate Dude rather than Mr. Master Chief, but Mr. Master Chief probably wouldn't have been happy with her in the long run either.

Full disclosure: I am female, and if any guy I was dating announced his desire for a full set of body armor I think I'd sneak out of the bedroom in the middle of the night and never go back. But if it makes this dude happy, what's the harm?
posted by jrochest at 3:33 PM on November 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think just taking it off before entering the bedroom would be fine, but that's just me.
posted by infini at 4:39 PM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'll reiterate that I'm waiting for Master Chief playing the Saxophone. If the visor cannot accommodate the sax, then I suggest playing facing away from the camera, maintaining the facelessness. There must be someone with a green screen who'd love to drop in some battle scene.
posted by jeffburdges at 5:31 PM on November 19, 2011

now you’ll never be able to hear Alkaline Trio without wanting to fucking kill yourself.

Never underestimate the power of immortal music you love to overcome the temporal, passing promise of Faded Love. Oh, sure, I had to put Dylan's Desire away for a few years. But now I listen with abiding appreciation for The Persistence of Memory.
posted by Twang at 7:13 PM on November 19, 2011

As much fun as The Breakfast Club is, I regret to inform some of our members that nobody can be defined by a single passion or hobby or even personality descriptor. And while this may shock people in their thirties or up, video games are now considered a part of mainstream culture, and people who like them aren't considered inferior to people who like books, movies, orgies, woodworking, or what have you.

I think we learn more about this guy from the way he writes than we learn from what he did. He's funny, lighthearted, articulate, self-aware but not annoyingly self-conscious. He found a non-destructive way to get over a bad breakup. And he writes for a smart, culturally-aware blog about my beloved city, which makes him as social as a dude on the Internet can be.

He seems cool, and some of you seem a little silly.
posted by Rory Marinich at 9:47 PM on November 19, 2011 [9 favorites]

Parks and Rec did it.
posted by Apocryphon at 12:13 AM on November 20, 2011

I ate my engagement ring (it was candy). Guy knows I don't like diamonds or jewelry in general really. And our wedding bands were commissioned; his has a Mini-Moog etched on it and mine has a book (yes, we are unclassy nerds).
posted by ifjuly at 8:21 AM on November 20, 2011

In coping with one of the most painful interpersonal betrayals one can suffer, he spent his money on something other than my approved list of Veblen goods! Clearly he deserved to be betrayed by the woman he was in love with!

Christ almighty, do you people literally kick sand at nerds on the beach?
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 10:29 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

It seems clear to me that buying the suit wasn't the cure, but part of a process, and the alchemical agent might have been anything – a garden, a pet, a new apartment, a work of art, a course of study – the possibilities are limitless. What would you do with a couple of thousand dollars (I don't know how much we're actually talking about here) when you're heartsore and in desperate need of distraction?

"Invest it" is wise, but chilly. "Give to charity" is excellent but may not offer everyone a way through their personal pain. Some people might choose to travel, and probably wouldn't hear criticism from anyone about that choice. Some might invest in themselves in a variety of ways that would be popularly viewed as healthy and mature. Others might go the self-destructive route, while others might choose to purchase something symbolic and/or odd or coveted, or spend it in any number of ways that would garner criticism – if they bothered to publicize it.

I think this guy chose to purchase something eccentric, whimsical and somewhat outlandish, but also to make it a project and a process and to observe himself doing all that, and to also publicize himself doing all that... and also observe all that proceeds from that – so there's a lot more to unpack than guy-gets-ditched-buys-cosplay-suit.
posted by taz at 1:47 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

In the early 1970's I was dumped by my fiance' David. (He left me for a Vietnamese woman ...in Viet Nam). We had picked out a ring...but I didn't have it yet (which may have been part of the reason he didn't feel particularly guilty about leaving me). Then several years later I married a man also named David. Our rings were (are) wonderful in my estimation. Our names were on the outside of the bands in a beautiful font. I always loved those rings. After many years of marriage David #2 and I divorced. I got both of our rings. Guess what..I wound up with a man named.......David! and I wear my ex husband's ring on my right hand. Don't judge--Dave #3 is fine with it, the ring says "David"........ and I just simply love that ring.
posted by naplesyellow at 8:24 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm glad my fetishes are a lot simpler.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:38 AM on November 21, 2011

If my ex-fiance wants to buy himself something wonderful, I will gladly return the diamonds. (Actually, I returned them once and he had the stones reset into earrings and a pendant for me. Still wear them and think if him fondly when I do.)

Honestly, the guy with the Master Chief suit is awesome. There's a lesson here. Don't ask someone to marry you if she spends ages demanding EXACTLY WHAT RING SHE WANTS.
posted by 26.2 at 7:42 PM on November 21, 2011

Actually, I returned them once and he had the stones reset into earrings and a pendant for me. Still wear them and think if him fondly when I do.

It's too bad that it didn't work out between you two, but these were wonderfully gracious gestures on both of your parts.
posted by localroger at 12:31 PM on November 23, 2011