J&P!

You should really stop making excuses for your husband and just accept the fact that he is a marijuana user. I work in a detox center and I no that if it was in his urine that he used within 3 days of testing.

I think it is all a matter of perspective and attitude. I have lived both in England and Australia and I have lived through all the experiences you mention. First and foremost, I have met many Australians that could not find Kansas on a US map, others could find Steamboat Springs with their eyes closed, equally to many Americans who could tell you the difference between a Perth accent to that of Sydney. I found out that for many Britons, putting America down is a past-time, but I have seen the same level of white-trashness and lack of education in the MIdlands and other regions as one sees here in the boondocks. I also saw similar behavior in rural Australia. I have found out they criticize in America those things that are also present in their countries. Somehow they found solace in finding objectionable behavior in a country other than their own. Perhaps the bottom line is they are unaware there is more to the US, GB and AU other than N.York, LA, London, Glasgow, Sydney, Cairns or Perth. There are entire populations in between, made up of all kinds of people from all socioeconomic layers.
In both countries, almost everyone I met remarked on my accent and commented on certain choices of words I made, as an indication of my provenance. My interest in foreign languages only made it all the more exciting to me to learn the differences in lexicon and speech in three countries that began with the same kind of population and lexicon. I found it fascinating and never stopped creating parallel sets of vocabulary which to use when I go back and visit these countries. If I have any intention of enjoying my experiences there, the least I can do is communicate in a manner they can understand. It would be exceedingly presumptuous for me to expect them to accommodate to me, always. Knowledge occupies no space, so there is no reason to resist acquiring new intelligence for reasons that are jingoist at best.
As each country is different, so must be the frame of mind of any immigrant. For me, I had the option to stay in America and have it my way, all the way. In choosing to live in the UK and AU it was my job to fit in or get out. Neither government begged me to come, or to stay when I decided to leave and the only reason i returned to the US was because the purpose of my project had been accomplished and I chose to get back home. Each time it was great to return home, but heartbreaking to leave my friends behind, or as I put it, according to my personal philosophy, leaving friends ahead, for when we meet again.
All in all there are things I love and dislike about the UK and AU but deep down, it is nobody's fault. It is just the way things are and they are not going to change, nor is it my job to change them. For each thing I disliked in both countries, there were thousand others I loved and still miss.
I am proud of America for being the world's melting pot. I recognize AU and CA are also melting pots. I don't think it makes any of these countries better or worse than the other, so much as it makes them different. It is always an exercise in futility to gauge one country against the others, although it is almost impossible to resist the temptation, so if you do it, do so as an exercise in futility and nothing else.
I think that the real point is that an entire country will not change to accommodate your personal taste or preference. Do your part and fit in. Being multicultural means you can operate effectively in different circles and it does not predicate you must abdicate that which you consider your core cultural values. To be sure, the bigger effort always falls on the immigrant, but you should have known that to be the case when you made the option to live in another country and frankly, in my case, I am much better for it today. You can wallow in self pity and live in a regime of self flagellation for all those things your new country isn't or you can expand your mind and become a citizen of the world by embracing, with abandon, all the new good things your new home has to offer. You have and control that option.

The people of these rioting countries asked for FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY, we sent our sons and daughters to give it to them, they got it and don't know how to handle it. Shame on YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely! Drives me nuts when people who have no respect for other's life, expect respect for their religion... And btw there are tons of movies ( form of an art like comedy, just to be clear) that laughs at other religions , yet I haven't heard of Catholics or Buddists going around embassies and killing the ambassadors only because they represent the countries the movies / comedies were made in ...

I hope this can help, I am use to living alone, its been 5 yrs now anyways here is what I do.
Every month once I use to get paid, I will 1st pay all my bills, like rent, mobile, internet etc. then do my monthly grocery shopping and keep some money a side for milk, yogurt, eggs, bread and fresh vegetable. No matter what I would never go out of budget. Then a very small amount of money for going out, i would usually met my friends at a picnic, at my house or theirs, that way I saved by not paying to eat out, Carried my own lunch, made most of my food home and if I am busy spend 1 day in a weekend to make food for entire week.
As if now I don't work but I do the same with my husbands money and it really works!

No case and she is not eligible for anything. And why is it impossible to go back to Italy? Is it that much worse than staying in the country ILLEGALLY and unable to work and provide for the child?
Perhaps she should have thought twice before coming to stay in the country illegally and thought many more times before having a child she cannot support.
Sorry but I have zero sympathy for the mother but I do really pity the child.
Go home, Italy is a nice country, there is more or less equal opportunity for her there and she must have some family in Italy, no?

How is lawyer going to help?
She has been living illegally and that is the truth….next time when ppl wonder why they are given hard time at POE even when they are genuine… here is the reason.
I am not sure why she cannot return back to her home country where her family and friends are, she does not have to leave the kid in the foster care as suggested by the OP.
Kid can be taken to Italy and can grow up there with mother and atleast rest of her family.
I never understand why ppl think its rude when they ask ppl who entered the country illegally to return back to their country?

Thank you so very much for posting this and I share your sentiments.

I'll never understand why USCIS approves petitions for people who meet online and then in real life all of two times before getting married... but then when someone like me (who LIVED with my husband, WORKED with my husband, and was PREGNANT with his child) drives 400 miles in one day to marry him while he's detained in immigration jail, USCIS thinks I have a f***ing fake marriage and takes twice the amount of time to approve my petition. This sh!t pisses me off so much.

No, it's here in California and Texas.
One friend called in California and was told by San Bernadino Sherrifs that they couldn't compel him to vacate his residence.
I personally called in Texas and was told by the slack jawed yokel local Costabulary basically the same thing. I'v eseen it also on Cops hence my understadning.
On the other hand, in Nigeria for $20 they will not only help you get her out but will also put her in jail for making them have to come out.

You know what bugs me about this thread most of all?
The part where it looks like people are arguing about which is the better country.

'Americans are dishonest, unhappy, etc...I can't get a job because I'm too educated, my daughter can't get one cos she's prettier than all her minger American friends.' is not helpful.
You may not believe me, but pointing this out to you, suggesting you look within, suggesting an attitude change might help...is actually my helpful words to you. Trust me, you say I'm attacking you...you have no clue what that's like.
Take a deep breath hon, you'll get there eventually.

Couldn't agree with the above post any more! My Fiance has made it very clear he will never move to England (even as a transfer to the London office of his engineering firm). He says England has awful weather and we are snobby. Ha ha.
So I plan to move to America, leave my amazing job as a flight attendant with Virgin Atlantic, friends, family - I am planning on doing all of this in the next few months and I am petrified and paranoid of what the future holds.
I REALLY feel for the OPs husband. I've just spent 3 months in the states and not a week went by that we didn't argue about my negativity towards the way things are done over there. Examples - healthy food is so expensive, NBC Olympics was beyond a joke, and basically fed up of hearing people who've never owned a passport that America is indeed the greatest country. Ever. :-/
Try to empathise with him. I wish my partner knew what sacrifice I'm about to make but he doesn't!
I meant I agreed with Xanax! By time I wrote it there was a new above post. Lol

On networking, be sure to check out DC Web Women: http://dcwebwomen.org/
While it is primarily for women working on tech fields, it would be a great way to get to know people and perhaps they can help you get a sense of any HR-related openings within their companies. I've made some really great friends through that organization that I am still in contact with despite living on the other side of the country.
I completely forgot to mention this group to you earlier, which is a on my part since I was a co-chair of one of its committees and super-active in the org when I lived in the area.

Um...how does supporting Israel make you islamophobic?

:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
Could not agree more with you!