Dale Sellers

Back in late December of last year, I gave up my job of just over 5 years in order to move in with my fiance. The distance between where I used to live and where I live no is quite significant, so the potential commute would have been out of the question.

I'm have over 9 years experience in the construction and building materials, my last position at the company that I used to work for was as their purchasing and collections clerk, and I have a college diploma from years back.

And so I moved in with her (that decision has proven to be great!). No problem I thought. I should be able to find not only another job fairly quickly but I might even be able to improve my employment situation a little bit this time around. Well...how wrong I was. This economy is brutal. There are literally no jobs...at least not decently paying ones. My job search has been going on for 5 months now, and if I'm not careful I could be in this same bloody situation a year from now! I have been doing everything right. I've got the nice and properly written resume, I've been calling my contacts, I've been visiting companies in person, I've been posting my resume online (and applying for some online positions)......but still no job. For me, finding a job has been like trying to capture some elusive holy grail. Why?

This past week has been particularly bad. More than ever before I've been trying to fight off the job hunting blues. I've been depressed, angry, depondent, short-tempered with my loved ones, and withdrawn. I just can't seem to shake it. But I need to because this emotional crap won't help me! Are there any techniques that I can utilize to lessen (or eliminate) these type of crappy feelings? Am I doing anything at all wrong in my job hunt? Is there something wrong with me employment wise? Any help at all.....please.....would be greatly appreciated.

Hello all! I've been reading and making posts in the casual encounters area of Craigslist for quite some time now. I don't take it too seriously and I don't check the postings very often at all. But when I do, I often get a kick out of them!

One thing I've noticed. My email inbox gets flooded with responses from women who say they will only hook up with me if I go to this other site and register for "free" in order to talk to them. When you click on those links, invariably, you get directed to a variety of adult sex sites (which are an entirely different kettle of fish!).

Now, I know that this is obviously a scam. But one thing I want to know. Are these websites paying these women for every customer that signs up for an account? Does the account have to be free or become a paid account in order for them to be paid?

Please share your thoughts on this. What will be of particular interest from me will be those comments from industry insiders, whether employed (either directly or indirectly) by the sex site websites themselves......or perhaps you are one of these women who is directing hapless men to these sites. Maybe these aren't even women at all on the other end....ewwww!

Quite a long time ago, this particular lady and I split. I have since moved well on, I have a fiance and am excited about my new life with her.

When I split with this other lady, her and I said that we would remain friends. Her and I would maintain only occasional contact via email or phone, maybe once a month if that.

Recently, I went online through MSN to say hello. All she did was shake the screen and say nothing back. Obviously, I terminated the connection.

Next, a couple of days later, I sent her a very polite email, just wondering how things were, sharing some about myself, all-in-all a very polite inquiry. Now I know what you might be thinking! I have never desired to get back with he, honest. It was just friends.

Anyways, a couple of weeks go by with no answer to my email. I'm sure that she received it. I finally decided to send her one last email, ending the friendship.

It was polite. In it I mentioned about the msn deal and the email that I had sent. I stated that she obviously had made her intentions clear that she no longer wanted to be friends. I told her that I didn't appreciate being treated that way and that it would be best to end the friendship. None of my other friends would ever treat me this way. I wished her well and that was it.

She responds and agrees that it would be best to end things that way...and then proceeds to tell me that I overreacted. I remember how she used to get at times, accusing me of overreacting, especially when I tried to talk to her about any issue that she didn't want to deal with.

I do not think that I overreacted at all. I feel that I was quite right to feel the way that I did. I recently sent her a very brief email. In it (very politely mind you), I told her that I did not feel that I had overreacted at all. I agreed with her response from last time, ending the friendship, and wished her well.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

My soon-to-be-ex-spouse asked me to leave 2 and a half months ago. Fine, I left. A few weeks later, I met another woman. I have been dating her since that time. She has a young son, 7 years old. I have gone out with the two of them many times. I also have two kids of my own. And I am still involved in their lives. My new lady has not met my kids (yet?). Recently, I went on a small vacation with my ladyfriend, her son, and some of her friends. We had a couple of disagreements about things while away. I thought that I had patched things up and that all was fine. We get back. Not too long after, she asks to see the photos in my camera and removes photos of herself and her son. I am very hurt. I told her that I am not stupid and that I am smart enough to know when something isn't right. I told her that if she wanted, I would give her space for a couple of weeks. She told me that she needs to think and be by herself for a few days. What should I do? Any advice please?