Samantha

My fiance and I are planning to move out of state next year. He's currently working (minimum wage level jobs), but would be looking for a new job when we go. I am on SSDI. There are some small homes in the area we're looking at for under $60,000, and the mortgage on such a home would be substantially cheaper than rent.

We'll have about $10,000 (minimum) saved up when it comes time to move, and a good chunk of that could be used as a down payment. The mortgage would, theoretically, be about $200-$400. I get about $800 a month (along with food stamps, discounted electric, fuel assistance etc). And our other expenses are very low. My fiance wouldn't be working, but we would have enough set aside for several months of him looking for work, and we'll be doing our best to find him something before we leave.

Mathematically, this all seems doable, but is it at all realistic to try to get a mortgage under these circumstances? Or would I be laughed at? Is there a good place to start in this situation?

Some other details:

- My credit is in decent condition.

- My fiance has no credit.

- My parents would not be in a position to cosign.

- I have nothing in terms of collateral.

- I have ample time to plan a move.

- Our parents have indicated they may be willing to help with a larger down payment as a gift.

- I'm open to buying the home without him if it helps, or getting married prior to buying.

My fiance and I play a lot of board games and we're looking to buy a few more. He loves Axis and Allies but I simply don't have the attention span for it. Can anyone recommend a game that is similar but less complex and time consuming?

My fiance and I infused Skittles with vodka, and while it smells delicious and the taste is a definite improvement, it's still really strong. Has anyone made this and then mixed it with something? Do different flavors go better with different drinks? And what colors made the best and the worst flavors?

I have someone who sent vicious messages to me on Facebook (they've been reported) and I'm wondering if there are any legal ramifications to posting what they said, along with their name and page, on my website. If I have proof (a screenshot, or the messages in my inbox) that what I posted was what they really sent to me, would I be at risk for anything?

I know that if they post on a public page, it can be posted. I'm just not sure if it's different because it's in the message section and was intended to be a private conversation.

We have what appear to be carpenter ants and they make an appearance every spring. Keeping things clean usually keeps them out of sight, but the second anything is placed on the counter they scurry in towards it from everywhere and I'm pretty sure they're living in the wall or something. We've tried traps in the past with moderate success so I'm looking to try something else. I've seen a lot of sites mention borax powder and I happen to have some handy (I make my own laundry detergent). Has anyone had success using it? What "recipe" did you use? And how long did it take the ants to be gone for good (if they ever did)?

You can pick anyone, as long as they are either running for office or currently in office (doesn't matter what seat they hold or wish to hold). Why would you pick them? Do you think they'd win? And are you happy with any of the candidates running this year (you can include someone who dropped out)?

My fiance and I are both pretty strong atheists and are going to be starting a family soon. I remember an incident where my younger sister was told by her best friend that they couldn't be friends anymore because our family didn't go to church (they were seven!), and she was utterly devastated. I've experienced plenty of problems, but none when I was that young. But given that this happened in a moderate town in liberal Massachusetts, I doubt incidents like this are uncommon. And though I've thought about it quite a bit, I'm still not sure how it should be dealt with.

Do you educate them so perhaps they can get their peers to think twice? Talk to the bullies? Talk to their parents? Has something like this happened to you, and if it has, what did you do and what happened as a result?

Thanks!

I was having a discussion with my mother on the state of the media today. She says that in the past, news networks were more trustworthy, but have gone downhill. I said that there is more potential to uncover the truth these days, and that's why the media looks so unreliable. Problem is, I can't find any studies done (small or large) that tested how often old news networks told the truth, and how much was omitted or biased. I found plenty done asking viewers how trustworthy they felt the media was, but none actually determining if it was. I'm looking for comparisons from the last decade (after computer use became common, during the "age of information"), to any time before, but preferably during the 70's and 80's (when my mother was a child). Any help?

This is a three part question...

Do SSDI/SSI benefits cover you if you move to another country?

Which countries are most receptive to individuals who are disabled and cannot work?

If you seek to be a citizen of another country, if your US benefits did go with you, when do they stop?

And are there countries that offer citizenship to someone that will need to be on some form of disability?

I'm under the impression that you can only live in other countries and hope to get citizenship if you can work, so I'm just trying to figure out what the options are.

I've had my heart set on Vermont for years, but I'm a little lost on picking out a town or region I'd like to move to. Can anyone help suggest a place that meets my criteria?

-Very secluded

-In the heart of the Green Mountains

-A relative distance from the bigger cities like Barre, Burlington and Rutland

-Where land/houses are on the cheap side(I know most of Vermont is inexpensive, but I'm looking for the lower end)

-That large plots of land(for privacy and a small amount of farming) are often available

-In central to northern Vermont

-A small population in the town and those around it

Ideally, I'm looking for a real getaway, tucked in the mountains, so distance to stores and other amenties isn't a big deal.

This may seem a silly question, but I can't find much information. I have applied for SSDI for severe OCD, generalized anxiety, agorophobia and major depression and was 20 at the time I filed. Are cases for "adult children" handled differently? Are they more/less likely to be rejected? And do they often receive more/less in benefits than regular cases?

Thanks :)

I've seen a few instances of cops clearing out parks and arresting occupiers and then throwing away their signs, tents, blankets, medical supplies etc, most notably in Boston in the north camp. I understand the need to confiscate these items if they need to clear the parks, but I question the legality of rounding up all their belongings and throwing them away. Typically, when someone is arrested, their belongings have to be there for them when they are released, even if it's decades later, so how has this not really been questioned? I'm curious to know, is this legal? If it is, what provisions make it legal, and if not, how have they gotten away with it?

PS-This isn't about if the police should be doing this, or what your opinions are on the occupations, it's specifically a question about legality.

I'm looking for something that's simple to make and nontoxic, as I have several cats and a dog. The ants we have are just the typical black ants that seem to show up in all kinds of homes in the spring. We get them every year, and have a pretty decent amount of them. We don't know where the nest is, but we think they are accessing our home through the wall behind our dishwasher(which we can't access), so our only option is to get them to bring poison back to the nest. Any suggestions?