Brad and Vika

I am sorry to tell ya, no one here would suggest you do anything to violate immigration law. For your own good and not to mention, it's unethical...and well, illegal.

Reliable illegal way? Are you serious?

either know what you're talking about or don't post. the op doesn't need misdirection and the thread hijacked.
charles
vj moderation

I can assure you that no one hacked into our server, however I would certainly change your password. If you use public computers, share computers with other people, or anything similar at work then those are opportunities for someone to gain access to your account. Also the use of the same password and log in id as well as unauthorized access to your email account (does anyone else have your password?) are potential ways folks can do things like this. In reality there are countless ways, but the best idea is to change all (seriously all) your passwords if you think someone got access to your email or website log ins. Use unique or mostly unique passwords when possible.
if you need posts removed please report them to a moderator -- we can take them down.

Moving thread to Site Discussion forum as it relates to site concerns
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For the OP, the reason your posts were removed and you were thread-banned from a discussion is that your posts violated the Terms of Service by which you agreed to abide when you joined Visa Journey. While the USA is indeed a country of free speech, Visa Journey is a privately owned site and the owner of the site decides on the 'rules' for participation. You agreed to abide by these rules, which included stating that inappropriate responses would be subject to moderation that could include post removal, suspensions and even permanent bans. You may wish to 'refresh' your memory by re-reading those Terms of Service: http://www.visajourney.com/content/terms
You can request a review of the moderation action by the site administrator: http://www.visajourney.com/contact/ or if you still wish to close your account you can use the same Contact form to make that request.

This topic (whatever it was about to begin with) seems to be a platform for personal attacks and TOS skirting bait posts. Locked for review, and probably locked permanently.

I don't think it would be the first time a relevelation like that "oopsie" happened on VJ

It looks like the question in post #1 has been answered, and this topic has taken on a fairly combative tone. I am locking it down, as it looks like the topic has served its purpose.

Unlikely to happen, sigh man.This needs to happen. Pick any five (or four, or three) and make examples of them, and then watch how the others fall into formation. Nothing will substantially or permanently change until this happens, no man.

The fact that the Political Cartoons thread was started by someone who is a member of the moderation team is a red herring. It is irrelevant to the discussion. The thread has received no more special treatment than any others. The title is Political Cartoons. If it is not a political cartoon, then it doesn't belong in the thread. For what it is worth and in contrast to what Mr. Fancypants alleges, the non-cartoon post that was reported was not reported by the topic's creator but by someone else entirely.
The ideal solution to reducing the number of moderation-worthy events would be to get rid of the non-immigration related forums all together.. That is unlikely to happen. The second best solution to reduce the number of moderation-worthy events would be for those who chose to participate in P&R to post like responsible adults and observe the TOS by which they agreed to abide when they became members of Visa Journey in the first place. The third solution would be to remove en masse those who habitually violate the TOS - who interestingly enough, are the same ones who generally require 90% of the moderation teams efforts. For various reasons, that is also unlikely to happen.
The 90% moderation rate for non-immigration related forums has been that way from the time I first joined the moderation team. It is also a handful of individuals who also account for the 90% of moderator-intervention activity.
My preference would be for individuals to post like responsible adults and not treat Visa Journey as some sort of a public school playground where anything goes if you can get away with it and everyone tries to get away with it.

Regardless of what your personal feelings are about a city or location, please remember that your insensitive comments can be seen as particularly cruel to those who lost everything in Katrina. There are members on this forum who are in that category, and even more who have friends and family who went through Katrina, some who survived and some who didn't. Plain-speaking is one thing; insensitivity to a situation where many lost their lives, their homes, and every thing they owned - especially an event so close to home and so recent in memory - is another.

I am sorry you feel that way about Canada and whether you doubt my intentions with this post. I'm not here to prove to you otherwise. I simply asked for advice.
As far as my friend being able to handle things from the advice he has gotten here, I am sure he will make the right decision for him. I have no problem devoting time
and writing for a friend, that is what friends do for one another.
I can not understand why you are so defensive over my posting and now to attack Canada simply because I have that and the u.s. flag as my profile picture.
And it's not up to you to decide whether or not I have all the advice I need. I appreciate all those that have given their opinions.
God Bless

The know it all attitude is a RUB chick thing. Even when they know they are wrong they will never admit it.

First off, I do believe that there are different forms of democracy that work. There are constitutional monarchies all over, for example.
The occupy movement is a good example of the similarities between the way Russia and the US deal with dissidents imo. The protest goes on for a period, then police use tear gas and crowd clearing techniques, arresting the leaders and most vocal. The main difference between Russian opposition protesters and occipiers seems to be that the Russians are aware of exactly what they are protesting from the start, and the probability that they will be punished for doing so. The occupiers have been slow to form a real agenda (protesting banks and rich people generally is just weak), and seem to believe that they won't be punished or arrested. It looks to me like the governments are reacting the same way though.

VV - I have been out of pocket for awhile, but I am sorry to read all of this and hope all is resolved amicably. At the risk of being flamed - I do have a law degree and would like to offer a few comments. Please take them in the good spirit in which I offer them. No promises about the spelling though.
First, I agree completely with your decision to not do a Russian divorce. This will not necessarily take you off the hook here, and even if it did, the burden is on you to prove all.
Second, I would advise against a do-it-yourself divorce. It is cheaper up front, but very easy to contest later if she stays here for any reason. Even if her status here isn't legal, those issues (support and residency)in most states are not related. Make her get a lawyer and negotiate every single thing, and have it documented. Not to make a lawyer rich, but to protect you later. I did my divorce myself years ago, and speak from experience here.
Third, although it is tough to believe for some, try not to worry too much about the cost of support during separation, or the cost of separation itself. Based on what I read about your stress level and health, you will see that anything you paid was a bargain.
Fourth and finally, I agree that you should not support any settlement that allows her to rely on you in any way for citizenship. You might escape your affadavit-based support obligation, but you are on the hook for a very real American priced support agreement with multiple adjustments after that. If she stays and uses your I-864 based promise to file for government support, the burden is on her to file and prove up front (the government takes it from there). As a citizen and therefore permanent resident, I would worry that she could come back over and over for adjustment to the initial support. She is an immigrant, newly divorced, unfamiliar with the cost of things, you are a blankety-blank, etc. You would have to pay to defend yourself from every accusation or request.

Lighten up about what? Maybe you'd have to be a woman to understand, but it is no way a subject deserving of levity, or "I want to fly to RUB so I can grab woman's breasts/asses with impunity and no fear of retaliation because, hey, they're cool with it over there."

The Commerce Clause in our Constitution clearly does allow the Federal Government to regulate insurance companies. Regardless of the delivery model, any company that does ANY business over a state line is engaged in interstate commerce. This issue has been litigated all the way to the top. It is well settled. The huge amount of federal insurance regulation is a clue.

The Commerce Clause in our Constitution clearly does allow the Federal Government to regulate insurance companies. Regardless of the delivery model, any company that does ANY business over a state line is engaged in interstate commerce. This issue has been litigated all the way to the top. It is well settled. The huge amount of federal insurance regulation is a clue.

The Commerce Clause in our Constitution clearly does allow the Federal Government to regulate insurance companies. Regardless of the delivery model, any company that does ANY business over a state line is engaged in interstate commerce. This issue has been litigated all the way to the top. It is well settled. The huge amount of federal insurance regulation is a clue.

Some one direct me to the area governing thread locking or deletion at the OPs request. We see a fair amount of this from several repeat offenders. It generally falls into two categories; 1) OP asks questions about how to push the edge of the immigration process - but probably not break the law (i.e. how can I leave my USC spouse and still get AOS, etc. done), or 2) OP asks repeatedly goofy questions, doesn't like some of the answers, gets the thread closed, then starts another related thread, and later gets it closed.
When I ask mods why the topics are closed, I am told simply OPs request, although we are repeadly warned to stick to immigration related comments regardless of how goofy the situation is. If we comply, the thread is closed anyway.
What gives?

What I find contemptable is members using VJ as a social networking service, and acting like they have a right to burn resources needed by those that actually have an immigration issue to deal with. Things like policing by proxy, mashing the report button to force the mods to run in circles mediating some drama that you started, and screaming bloody murder when your wishes aren't followed.
Funny, this is something you do all the time.
Being used to police that way is a source of unending frustration for us. As AJ has stated (among others), Ewok is reluctant to permanently ban the folks that take up so much of our time policing nothing. The regulars know it, and constantly push the TOS to the limit while reporting every violation (or imagined violation) from people they don't like. I agree with your initial point about folks in the upper forums needing our attention and help with the site. Please appreciate how tough it is to give them enough when four members in P&R are casting insults and posting porn links, then reporting each other ten times because they are so offended on religious grounds (just a made up example).

Content not appropriate to the site removed.

AJ... fair and balanced Seriously AJ, considering the amount of complaining you do, your concern for the feelings of a mod is very much appreciated. Try not to worry about me too much though. I don't spend anywhere near the amount of time on the internet that you do, so I tend to take your jibes with a fair amount of good humor. I would have to take you more seriously to be bothered much. No danger of that.

What I find contemptable is members using VJ as a social networking service, and acting like they have a right to burn resources needed by those that actually have an immigration issue to deal with. Things like policing by proxy, mashing the report button to force the mods to run in circles mediating some drama that you started, and screaming bloody murder when your wishes aren't followed.
Funny, this is something you do all the time.
Being used to police that way is a source of unending frustration for us. As AJ has stated (among others), Ewok is reluctant to permanently ban the folks that take up so much of our time policing nothing. The regulars know it, and constantly push the TOS to the limit while reporting every violation (or imagined violation) from people they don't like. I agree with your initial point about folks in the upper forums needing our attention and help with the site. Please appreciate how tough it is to give them enough when four members in P&R are casting insults and posting porn links, then reporting each other ten times because they are so offended on religious grounds (just a made up example).

Post containing degrading commentary and one post quoting it removed. Please keep political discussion in the appropriate forums.