I'm going to assume that you're an adult, know your own mind, and want a divorce. Your call, not mine, and I respect that.

I've done it. It's really, really hard. Here's some of the practical things to do before you even broach the subject:

1) Make copies of all of your financial statements (your accounts and his), any real estate deeds and tax returns. Put them in a safe place outside of your home.

2) Make sure you have enough ready cash to live for at least three, and preferably six, months. Minimum.

3) Make sure you have a secure place to stay for that time. Again, at a minimum. Don't share that location with your ex if you have any concerns about your safety. Get a cell phone account in your name only if you don't have already.

4) I very much sympathize with your concern about your dog. If there's any chance that your dog might be abused by your husband once you announce your intentions, remove the dog ahead of time to a safe location. In some places, women's shelters will help foster your dog if this is a concern.

5) I disagree with many here about the need for an attorney. Call a local woman's group for a sympathetic and affordable lawyer. You will need an advocate, unless your situation is very, very unique and amicable.

Often, situations that seem amicable on the surface degenerate very quickly. Get a lawyer, most especially if you are not in a community property state.

6) Write down, in detail and with xeroxes of relevant accounts, tax returns etc. as backup, your respective financial situations before and during your marriage prior to meeting with your attorney. Attorney time = your money, so spend it wisely.

Leaving my first husband was the smartest, and hardest, thing I've ever done. Protect yourself the best you can.

Good luck.

I believe that the answer lies in one word: fear.

Nothing is more powerful than the status quo. While the pundits like to suggest that Bush is McCain's biggest problem, I believe that for those who have voted for Bush in the past, McCain's highly similar physical appearance and policies represent, oddly enough, a comfort zone. Hey, all of our presidents have been middle-aged white men. Why change now?

In the face of economic instability, two wars and an ever-more fearful and inexplicable world, it takes a lot to take a risk. I believe that for many people, it's a case of "Better the devil you know..."

And for one of these folks to choose Obama means recognizing that their faith and their votes for the Bush administration was a bad investment. That the war might in fact have been a big fat mistake predicated on lies and misinformation. That "trickle down" tax cuts for the wealthy was a load of meaningless horseshit that just fattened the pockets of a lot of already wealthy people.

Now add the last year's worth of negative and fear-mongering campaign messages from the Republicans, it gets even harder. Add in the race issue...

Obama has had to run not only a strong campaign, but an outstanding campaign to be doing this well. For those of us who have faced discrimination in the past, this is nothing new. Those who are not of the "majority" always have to perform at a much higher level to be perceived as worthy.

He has done that. Whether you agree with his policies or not, no one can deny his accomplishment.

Just realized that the video link I provided is already on Saturn Smith's blog (this is what happens when I try to do too many things at once).

Obviously, definitely worth seeing!

and it's not from Obama's camp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIGJTHdH50

Long, but really uplifting, especially when the crowd gives him the first standing ovation.

As for the haters showing up here, really, you have a right to your opinion, but there are more effective threads for your arguments than this one. Here you just look mean-spirited.

This is what happens when people don't travel outside of our country, or otherwise get to meet and work with people from other countries.

I can just hear her mental tape when he starts talking about his wife being "hot in bed," and it goes..."well those French people are like that."

I found it sad for many reasons, and I guess at this stage it's somewhat gratuitous. We all know she's desperately unqualified, and I fear her ruthlessness and lack of intellectual curiosity more than any other politician I've seen in my lifetime.

There is no headstart program to become the VPOTUS. She needs to go back to Alaska ASAP.

Seek professional help. Seriously. No one should be as angry as you are, it's not healthy for anyone, especially you.

the constant drip of new, contradictory data can make you really, really insane. Because let's face it, the only thing worse than no hope is false hope.

But here's the conclusion I've come to. Fact is, the media and the pundits HAVE to turn this into a close race, or they have nothing to talk about. I've seen polls from McCain-rabid TV stations (cough FOX cough) that have Obama with only 160 some electoral votes. Then I look at pollster.com or fivethirtyeight.com and go, WTF?

So you're right. We're being played. So all we can do is what we can do.

Volunteer. Make phone calls. Donate what you can.

And in the end, grab a bottle, hunker down, and pray for daylight.