I’m 24 years old and I have two kids. When I was in high school I was very outgoing, smart, and was mildly popular. I had hopes and dreams to go to college, travel the world, and just be a free, person. I was very career minded and independent. Even though I wanted a good life and family, I was perfectly willing to put it on the back burner for what desires I really had.

In my senior year in high school, I started dating a man that would cause this all to change. He was polar opposite of me in every way. I came from a wealthier family, was education, never did drugs or even curse; not because I was stuck up but because I didn’t think smoking and cursing were lady like. He on the other hand was in and out of facilities, had no education, came from a poor family and used more drugs but the time I met him at 17 than most people do in a lifetime.

For some reason he seemed to have a strange power over me and I quickly fell for him. When I look back now, the red flags were here, I just didn’t see them. I thought that he was a great guy that treated me well but just had some past issues, kind of a hard life thing. I soon found myself in dangerous waters.

I knew from about day two that he had anger and aggression issues but he soon started to hit me. Kick me. Slap me. Punch me. Spit at me. Break my things. Destroy our home. It started out light and he even cried the first time he slapped me and told me that he loved me, was sorry and promised to never do it again. Did I mention that he is a boxer?! These hits were not soft and when I was 7 months pregnant with out second child he beat me bloody one night and after a neighbor called the police, I ended up in the hospital with a broken finger I got while trying to defend his powerful blows.

I haven’t finished college; haven’t even come close even though I am still attending. I don’t have a job so we live off of my student loans. He doesn’t work. Doesn’t clean the house. Doesn’t worry about money or paying bills. He says he has a shoulder injury that prevents him from doing almost everything; playing with out kids, lifting things, working around the house, cooking, cleaning, working a job, anything you can think of he can’t do…yet he can beat me. Its like he has a free walk through life. He is very envious of women and the way we are. I tell him that he wishes he was a woman. He thinks men have it hard these days and women are like little devils that get whatever they want. He says he wants to have the bronze of a man and get treated like a women since according to him us women have it all real easy.

I want to cry all the time and I want to leave but I have to way out. I know that people say that there is always a way out but for someone in the position I am in, you know that you can’t get rid of someone who doesn’t want to go. I’ve requested restraining orders and he breaks them like its nothing. I call the police and he somehow turns it around to make me be in the wrong. I’ve tried to leave several times and he eventually finds me.

I’m not asking how to get out or for someone to tell me the obvious fact that I need to get out. I’m just asking if anyone out there can relate to me and my story? I know that I am a fighter and a strong person but for some reason I can’t seem to leave. If you can relate to my story, please let me know how you got the strength to finally leave! What plans did you set into motion to get yourself and kids out if you have them? Any positive advise is welcomed.

And a last piece of information, I am very lonely. I don’t have any friends anymore and I’m not allowed to go anywhere. If I leave my house, I am expected to take my kids because he needs a break and I’m the woman so I need to take care of them. I never get a free moment or the ability to do something that I am interested in.

First of all let me state that I am not against our government, but it is broken. I am just a citizen so what do I know?

I know there are far too many of our people barely surviving, not living the life that our leaders think we are? They don’t live on the paultry salaries that many people here do.
Have you ever seen one of them in line at the unemployment office or any other that is for people needing help even temporarily? No & you won’t either, they use our hard earned money to do with as they please living high & mighty. They should be paid, but they should do more to earn it.
Often the media shows a session of congress or other & some of the members are sleeping or otherwise diverting their attention from the matter at hand? How much information must they be missing that otherwise might have given them the whole point? How can they possibly vote intelligently and in best interest of the people they are representing if they aren’t even paying attention???
We pay them to sleep & otherwise goof off on the job.
Hey I don’t know about you, but if I did that more than once, my butt would be fired.

If the banks are in financial turmoil, maybe the government should help its people who are struggling & getting nowhere with their finances & day to day living, to get back on their feet.
I’m not talking about trips to foreign countries, buying yachts,limos, mansions, deciding on which ritzy function to go to & smoozing with top leaders & those of influence. I mean real people struggling for the basic needs to live not just survive.
I wonder if any of our “leaders” in any major official capacity, who are suppose to be working for “the people” of the United States, have thought that if they helped people who are working hard, sacrificing, possibly their health, their dignity, quality of life with & for their families by not having enough time or money to spend that more money would circulate? If prices on everyday necessities, health care etc. and especially taxes on everything were not inflated on a whim,”the people” of this country might have enough left over to put in the banks?
Don’t ya think with all of our citizens that would slowly build the banks back up?
By raising the prices of everything & wages staying the same for many jobs out here any one with half a brain cell working could figure out that there is NO MONEY left over & on that we certainly can’t borrow any from the banks. Even if someone had barely enough to qualify to borrow, it would take them too many years of their lives to pay at the high intrest & finance rates . I am not just talking about the banks here either, credit card companies are just as bad or worse. Lower those rediculously high finance charges & interest rates to match what people can realistically pay back.

When will our decision makers see that tax payers are paying their salaries & are going to the poor house very rapidly? Do they truly care how the rest of us live? How can they they don’t know what it is like to have a regular paying job.
We don’t get to decide what millions of dollars we should get automatically after retirement or vote ourselves a tremendous raise as the mood strikes And those raises & other monetary figures they pocket are what help ours remain empty.
I think that every one of those people should have to live for at least a couple of years on the salaries that most of our low & middle income families or even individuals, live on if you can call it living. Those people who are so used to that posh lifestyle,who among them would be able to handle it?

Another reason our country is on financial skids is because everytime another country has a disaster, or some other devistation, or needs medical provisions or whatever, guess who is first on scene? USA. Taxpayer money is going to help someone else not us.
Why, are they so free with this help when we have so many of our own people on the streets many of which would work for a decent livable wage, but I forget one has to have some experience in a particular job before we can be deemed fit to work (how does one get that experience if nobody will hire & train them?
Why should our senior citizens, who by the way, if it were not for them there would be no us, having to make the decision to buy food or medicine? Don’t they deserve to live out their lives with more dignity & comfort? Same for our vetereans who have fought for this country, even if not directly in war? They have still sacrificed many things to proudly serve. Why, when they retire from the military do they have to struggle again in their own country to get decent benefits or any at all? Shouldn’t they be treated better or at least as well as the members of our government who sit or have sat on their behinds in meetings, sometimes often forgetting what the meeting is really about & making decisions on issues they may have no firsthand experience at, all the while having gourmet meals, always having someplace to sleep w

My father, who is 86 years old is living with my sister. She is having to quit her job as a nurse to stay home and care for him. He requires a moderate level of care such as meal preparing, help with walking, getting in and out of bath, etc. My question is this. If my father should pay my sister a monthly wage for her services, would he be able to deduct this expense from his income taxes?

Can you get compemsated for taking care of an elderly/disabled parent in their home? I would like to quit my regular job and just stay home to care for my father but cannot afford to unless I can get some form of income. Can you help? I live in the state of Wisconsin.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dinnerguests
This is your opportunity to let his dinner guests know what issues are important to you so that they can ask him directly why he would provide amnesty to 20 million illegals plus their families, not secure the border by building the fence – but rather the bill cuts the length in half from what was already approved, gives the border patrol a minimum of what they need to secure the border, puts our country in too much debt by paying for all of the benefits the illegals would receive – free education, low income housing, health benefits, etc. These benefits should be going to our senior citizens and impaired soldiers who are living on the streets because they can't find a job and don't have medical benefits. There is no fine that is firm for businesses abusing the law and providing fake documents to avoid taxes. The bill says "up to" for the dollar amount. Sneaky and underhanded! This bill only benefits the illegals & businesses.
Tina, these are people who are looking for questions to ask Obama when they meet with him, so this is your opportunity to get a direct answer from him as to why he would do something so wrong. Just click on the link and tell them what you think. Just maybe he will change his mind before they vote on this bill again. I have written him a number of times already with no response. This is to someone who will actually be talking with him and might be able to influence him to support the citizens instead of the illegals.
Here is the link to the votes for the amnesty bill and who tried to pass it:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00206

iam an electronics engineer .i haven't worked in a job for the past 5 years & now iam willing to work in a retirement community.is it possible?how to apply for this?suggest some other jobs suitable for my qualification.

A friend of my mothers' was a former caretaker of her father. He is now deceased and the womans' brother is making her sell her fathers' home in which she lives. Because she was a full time caretaker, she had no job and takes care of her animals, plus feeds stray animals nearby. She has no car and I think only -100 of state aid coming in each month + food stamps. Anyone know of any resources to turn to? She needs a place to stay in or nearby Garden Grove, CA that will accept her animals as well. She does not own a car but is looking for work. Anyone know of a person who is renting out a room in her area or maybe a senior needing live-in help that accepts animals? please help! thanks!