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Struggling to find the best buy-to-let mortgage in Stevenage? speak to one of our buy to let mortgage advisers today
The term 'buy to let' generally refers to either the practice of buying a property to be let for profit or to the type of mortgages used to purchase a property for such letting. Many countries, both in the western world and in the developing nations, have seen a surge in the growth of the buy to let property market in the last 2 decades and this has fuelled a growth in amateur landlords and the but to let mortgage providers who are keen to encourage and profit from them in turn. In addition, this growth has generated a lot of commerce in other related sectors such as buy to let insurance.
Buy To Let Deal of The Week
Many countries, both in the western world and in the developing nations, have seen a surge in the growth of the buy to let property market in Stevenage the last 2 decades and this has fuelled a growth in amateur landlords looking for quality mortgage advice, this is why mortgage brokers in Stevenage who specialise in Buy-to-let are so important and the but to let mortgage providers who are keen to encourage and profit from them in turn. In addition, this growth has generated a lot of commerce in other related sectors such as buy to let insurance.
Stevenage Buy to let mortgages have been available in the UK since the mid-nineties and they are specifically designed for investors to borrow money to purchase property in the private rental sector. The amount that a prospective but to let investor can borrow is generally determined by the rental valuation of the property. The annual income for a rented property has to cover a certain percentage of the mortgage repayments, the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) states that landlords should seek to be able to obtain gross rent returns equivalent to between 130 per cent and 150 per cent of the rental property's mortgage repayments, this takes into account the surplus rent to cover costs of property maintenance and slack periods when the property may be vacant of tenants.
Stevenage Buy To Let Mortgages.
Some buy to let mortgage lenders in Stevenage will lend you a maximum sum based on a multiple of your salary (usually a multiple of three) plus a percentage of the forecast rental income on the property. So if your annual salary is said 30,000 Franks and the forecast rental income is 10,000 Franks they will lend you 95,000 Franks. Other mortgages, in addition to factoring in your salary, will include any existing loan commitments you have, and then apply what is known as the 'deduction rule'. This rule relates to the annual mortgage payments worked out at a pre-set level of interest.
Buy to let mortgage interest rates are generally fairly close to residential mortgage rates but will generally be slightly higher and typically charge higher fees. This is due to the fact that buy to let loans are considered by the financial sector to represent a greater risk than residential owner-occupier mortgages, and they generally are.
The Situation in the UK About Buy To Lets
The buy to let market literally 'exploded' in the Stevenage around the beginning of the millennium with rising property prices and the increasing availability of buy to let funding fueling a surge in would-be investors trying to cash in on the trend of the market. One reason for their popularity is the tax advantages that are available to the UK buy to let investors. Rental income is treated just like a salary by the Inland Revenue, and is therefore often taxed at 22% or even 40%. However, landlords are allowed to deduct costs from the taxable portion of their rental income, and these costs can include the interest of the buy to let mortgage repayments as well as maintenance costs on the property. These tax incentives made the buy to let market very attractive for both professional investors and amateurs looking to make the most out of their savings.
Would-Be Buy-to-let Investors
The market peaked around 2007 and now the market is saturated in many areas across the country with too many properties available to tenants. While buy to let is generally not a good idea for people who do not possess some extra budget there are a lot of remortgage deals which will fund a deposit for a home. If you are worried about losing money during void periods many companies will provide insurance which can deliver as much as six months mortgage payments in the event of a property in Stevenage remaining unoccupied.
You may still be lucky, and find a hotspot but you need to do your homework and the figures correctly. Buy to let trends differ from town to town and literally from street to street. Good advice for potential investors is to visit the local letting agents who should be able to tell you who is renting what at the moment so you can define your target audience. It could be students, young professionals or families, for example. Look for areas that do have a shortage of properties and for indicators that people will move there, such as new business developments.
Buy to let mortgage deals are still rife and the rates are almost as competitive as with conventional deals. The mantra with your buy-to-let must be 'don't expect to get rich quickly'. You need to look long-term: an absolute minimum of five years – but probably nearer to ten years.
If you're looking at buying an investmentproperty to help supplement your pension in the future should you be looking for a propertyor real estate investing mentor? It's an interesting question and I'llgive you my thoughts right after this Hi I'm Andy from monoperty.
Com and on thischannel I share the lessons I have learned as a property investor and landlord and Ialso interview other investors so we can learn from their advice too so if you're new hereconsider subscribing for more videos like this And so if you're a beginner looking to investwhilst you're in full time employment to help supplement your pension in the future I wouldn'tworry about finding a mentor.
What!?! Hear me out There are people who charge thousands or tensof thousands for mentorship programs.
Now I know if you want to go big having amentor can accelerate your progress and help you avoid the pitfalls but I think that'ssomething to think about once your involved and you've got a taste for it and you enjoyit and you want to take it to the next level.
Also I believe there is added value if youhave some experience before seeking a mentorship because you'll have some knowledge that youcan base your questions on and you won't be spending your money on just learning thebasics which you can get for free online or from books.
Of the 2 million landlords in the UK the majorityof them are what's known as accidental landlords.
It's how I started out.
These people find themselves in a situationwhere they are unable to sell a property for various reasons due to an inheritance, movingjobs, or they let their property because they are living away from home for long periodsof time with their work.
Rather than selling they look to let theirproperty through a managing agent so it's one less thing for them to worry about.
And the majority of people do well from thiswith very little effort, their running costs and overheads are covered each month and astime passes they gain some capital growth.
I know this because as an accidental landlordmyself I've been there.
If you are actively looking to invest, youare going to have a better start than the accidental landlords, who are already doingwell, because you have taken the time to learn.
The accidental landlords are making the bestout of what they already have, whereby you, the active investor, will be seeking a certaintype of property in a specific area that is in demand.
Buying your first buy to let can be done withoutany guidance at all, and you will find that you'll receive some direction from the estateagent, mortgage broker and solicitor during the process anyway.
You already have enough to do on your to dolist; find a deposit, find a mortgage broker, research an area, conduct viewings, crunchthe numbers and find a managing agent ……, so if finding a mentor is on that list, you canscratch it off and have one less thing to do.
Don't over think it and make it more difficultfor yourself.
I did very little research on my first buyto let, I listened to what the estate agent told me, the mortgage lender was happy tolend to me once they had done their valuation and it worked out well.
Now could I have increased my return on investmentif I had known and done more at the time, well of course I could BUT, at least I madea start.
There is a danger of over thinking the processwhich will delay you from buying your first investment property.
Don't spend too much time thinking aboutgetting the biggest returns, property investing is NOT a get rich quick scheme.
It's a long term game, but you have to makea start! Making a start now on a property that producesa positive net cashflow each month, is better than waiting months or years for a propertythat produces a slightly higher net cashflow.
We all know the best way to learn is by doing.
So if you're in a position to buy, get started! Now let me tell you, the fact that you arewatching this video, and if you've seen my Getting Started Playlist which I will linkin the description and throw a card up on the screen just in case you haven't, you willalready be way ahead of other people who are considering investing, and those falling intoinvesting as an accidental landlord, in terms of preparation and finding a good propertythat's in demand on the rental market.
So don't think you need to find yourselfa mentor.
When starting out, spend your money on aninvestment property, NOT a mentor.
You've got this! You can do it! This weeks question comes from Michael Collinson:""Well done with the new look I like it" Thank you very much Michael.
"What video editing software do you use? I've just started using Power Director 14.
Do you use a green screen to get yourselfshowing in front of the background? I use a Mac and the first video editing software thatI used was iMovie the first 25 or so videos I released were edited on iMovie I then decidedto upgrade to Final Cut Pro (or FCPX) Final Cut Pro 10 and I love it it's brilliantthere is so much more you can do with that compared to iMovie and I'm learning allthe time everytime I create a video I try and learn something new try and add somethingso we will see how that goes.
Yes I use a green screen and this is somethingelse I'm learning all the time you have to get the lights right the camera settingsright it can be a pain at times but I wanted to use it because I don't have a plain wallin my house every walls got a picture, a photo, a mirror, or a clock on it and I didn't wantanything in the background that would distract the viewer so that's the main reason forusing green screen but it's also good because I can throw up graphics or other bits of informationwhile I'm still doing the talking head stuff in the hope that it will just add to the videoexperience so yep that's why.
I buy all my equipment on Amazon because Ifind their prices are very competitive and their Prime service for next day deliveryis fantastic.
I have upgraded some kit over time I'vegot a new camera stand a new green screen some other bits and pieces and I'll linkto everything I've purchased and would recommend down in the description so that you can checkit out for yourself.
Thanks for your question Michael and keepup the great work on your channel I'll link to it down in the description so that otherpeople can visit it and if you have a question that you would like me to answer you can askme in the comment section below or send me a message on my social media platforms orthrough my blog.
Please like and share this video if you foundit useful and if it's your first time here definitely subscribe so you won't miss anyof my future videos which will all be geared towards helping you start or improve yourproperty business.
Thank you so much for watching and I'llsee you in the next video.
Find a mortgage broker Find a mortgage broker living, because they are living.
Do You Need A Mentor To Buy An Investment Property As A Beginner? (Buy To Let)
Welcome to Property Investments UK,and today we're going to be looking at a couple of client's questions.
This one is regardinghow to best work out rental demand, so if the property is going to be popular when youcome to rent it out.
The question is "Hi, Rob.
Hope you're well.
Just a quick question.
What is the best way to work out rental demand?" There's a couple of ways to do this, whetheryou're looking at maybe single lets or HMOs which are classed as houses of multiple occupation.
They're slightly different, you see, depending on how you're looking to see what the levelof demand in a particular area for those types of listings.
The first way is to simply checkhow many listings there are in an area and how long they've been on the market for.
Ifa property's been on the market for a long time, available to let, it might be somethingto do with that property or it might be an indication that in the area, there might be toomuch supply and not enough demand, so it might not be the best of area to currently buy inor you need to do something slightly different with your property strategy in terms of providinga slightly different type of property or different standard or property to make sure yours isrented over and above anyone else's.
Essentially you're looking to see how much propertiesthere are in an area and how long they've been on the market.
That's key for not only properties that arecurrently showing as lives, properties that are available to let, but it's also good tohave a look at properties that have currently lets, so when you're looking at Rightmove andZoopla, they're the two main property portals you'll probably be using on a day to day basis,you can check on there or tick a filter that gives you access to properties that have "LetAgreed" on it.
If you do a property search in your chosen area, so whether that's Manchesteror Liverpool or London, whatever the location might be, and tick "Property" or "Let Agreed"it'll give you an indication of how active that property market is and how many of thoseproperties.
If you're showing 50 property listings and only 2 of those are let agreedthan maybe there's a bit too much supply.
If you're showing 50 listings and 20, 30,40 of those are let agreed, then you can have a bit more confidence and more active demandor buoyant area.
One thing Rightmove and Zoopla will also showyou is how long the listing has been live, so you can see when that listing first cameon the market.
For example if you're checking listings in March and the listings showingwas 1st of January or was 2nd of January, you know it'd been on the market for a coupleof months.
That's probably an indication that the market isn't that buoyant.
As we saidearlier it might be a problem with that particular property, either the description, the photos,or the type of listing, but I'd also look at not just one property but a couple of otherdifferent listings in that area to see if maybe is actually the area.
There's just notas much demand for rental properties.
Obviously the key thing to look for is thelowest listing time possible, so if you're in a very buoyant area those properties willbe coming on the market and then getting rented very quick.
If they're only on the marketfor a couple of days, perfect.
If it's a couple of weeks, that's generally okay.
That's probablyactive for most locations around the UK.
If it's been on for a couple of months then that'sprobably an indication that it's not as quite an active area.
When it comes to HMOs we tend to use slightlydifferent property portals, so Rightmove and Zoopla is fantastic for straight forward vanillabuy to lets to check that kind of rental demand, but the majority of listings for HMOs or sharedaccommodation, individual rooms, is going to be using the main website if the momentis Spare Room.
You look for something similar.
You look for the level of listings, the amountof kind of demand and supply within these particular areas and how long listings havebeen live for.
You just follow the same kind of process just use probably slightly differentportals.
For straightforward vanilla buy to lets, Rightmove and Zoopla are great.
If you'relooking at HMOs then Spare Room is great, so hopefully that helps give you a bit ofan indication of how to check the rental demand in any particular area.
Thank you for watching this video.
If youlike this content and you'd like to join our free online property training course, we'vegot a link for it on this page and in there we cover a range of different property strategiesto help you get started either building a long-term property portfolio or creating cashflowing property business.
We also look at ways to increase your return on investmentwith any of the properties you may be considering, and we also have a couple of cheat sheetsand downloadable documents in there as well.
Simply click on the link to join the freetraining course today.


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Islamabad: Pakistan has freed at least sixteen Taliban prisoners with the approval of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, officials said on Thursday, in a move designed to invigorate a shaky peace process with the militant group.
The Pakistani Taliban called a one-month ceasefire on March 1 but said this week they would not extend the truce because the government was not serious about meeting their demands.
The demands include releasing 800 prisoners the insurgent group describes as innocent family members and withdrawing the army from parts of the semi-autonomous tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.
The political agent of South Waziristan, the highest government official in the northwestern tribal region, confirmed
the government has started releasing non-combatant prisoners to boost reconciliation efforts.
"South Waziristan's political administration released sixteen men on April 1," Islam Zeb told Reuters.
"They are not major commanders. They are innocent tribals who were arrested during different search operations in South Waziristan in the last two to three years." Zeb said all the released prisoners belonged to the Mehsud tribe, a major Pashtun tribe living in South Waziristan. Another 100 prisoners on the Taliban's list were being processed and would be released in the next few days, he added.
Taliban negotiators were not immediately available to comment on the releases.
Intelligence officials confirmed that the prisoners were brought to the Zari Noor army camp in Wana, the region's main town.
The enclave on the Afghan border was once the epicentre of a spreading Taliban insurgency and the site of a major military offensive in 2009 that displaced half a million people.
Security officials said once at Wana, the prisoners were handed over to office of the political agent, who then released them to the Taliban.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally authorised the releases, a source in his office said — an apparent sign the premier is giving in to pressure from the Pakistan Taliban and resisting those in the military arguing for tougher military action against militant strongholds.
"But they (released prisoners) are all non-combatant civilians. They are not sensitive figures," the prime minister's aide said. "Maybe some of them are Taliban sympathisers but they are not commanders and have no role in the talks process." "Releasing them will create goodwill and we hope they (Taliban) will reciprocate," he added.
Sharif, who took power last year promising to strike a negotiated peace with the Taliban, has been trying to engage the militants, who want to topple his government and enforce severe Islamic law.
But talks broke down last month, when a Taliban wing operating in the Mohmand Pashtun tribal region said it had executed 23 soldiers in revenge for the killing of its fighters by the security forces.
Islamabad then refused to hold further talks until the Taliban announced a ceasefire on March 1.
The second round of peace talks now hangs in the balance after the Taliban announced on Wednesday they would not extend the ceasefire and warned that attacks would begin again in Pakistan.
Pakistan was not entirely peaceful during the ceasefire either.

subset: commoncrawl


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Major Howard A Sessler; Doolittle Raider, Bombardier/Navigator on Don Smith's CREW 15 off the USS Hornet.
**QUOTE; "**As the navigator and bombardier on Don Smiths aircraft we attacked targets in Kobe. When the raid was completed we flew on and eventually ditched our aircraft in the sea off the coast of China. We swam to an island where Chinese guerrillas took us through enemy lines into China. We got to Chungking from where we were sent home through India and across the South Atlantic. I later flew all through Africa after the invasion until the war was over, a total of 103 missions, all in B-25s."
FROM the Book "Jr. Birdmen of Corsica" by Robt. Zulauf
Page 90 One of the old Brigade Robert Zulauf
2nd Column)
Text written by Robert Zulauf
There was one character who stands out in my memory. He was a navigator in the 310th BG, 381st Squadron. He moved in with four of us junior birdmen. He was a big guy and he had a lot more combat flying experience. We were
(Page 91 1st Column (Kid goes…. Continue))
We were a little in awe of this Captain (Howard Sessler) who had flown missions in North Africa, had returned to the States, and now was back to fly again. What we learned later about the Captain was even more surprising – we learned that he had been part of Jimmy Doolittle's group on the raid of Tokyo! This unassuming navigator was a no-frills sort of guy who led a very simple life overseas. He moved into our room, set up his cot and placed one duffle bag containing all his belongings beneath the cot. His clean cloths were stored in one end of the bag and his dirty clothes in the other end. When the bag was filled with dirty clothes he would take the bag to the native women who did our laundry down at a nearby stream. They beat the clothes against the rocks to get them clean.
I also recall that this same Captain once "procured" from our mess hall a large cut of fresh beef which he hung up in a corner of our room and carved steaks from the quarter carcass for late night feasts after his return from the Happy Hills Officer's Club. He was also fond of basketball and he was the only player who could travel 20 feet with the ball and dribble only once or twice. Yes, the Captain made his own court rules, and he was big enough to enforce his rules.
This same fun-loving Captain was later court-martialed for tearing down some crepe paper party decorations at the Red Cross Club; this court-martial cost him $200 per month for three months, as I recall. Bob Zulauf wrote the "Jr Birdmen of Corsica"


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Text/Background Color
Posted by on 17 December 2010 02:50 PM
Foreground (text) and Background Color:Changing the foreground color will change the font color. To change the foreground color you can highlight the text and then click on the foreground icon and select a color or you can change a whole line by placing you cursor anywhere within the line and then clicking the Foreground color icon and selecting a color. (see figure 1) (figure 1)
Changing the background color will change the background of the text box but not the color of the whole page. To change the background color click the background color icon and select the color (see figure 1) you would like. If you already have text on your page you can highlight sections of text and change the background color (see figure 1) of each section.
To remove your background color, click on the background color icon and then click on "more colors" (see figure 2) and then "remove color" (see figure 3)(figure 2)
(figure 3)
When you click on the foreground or background icons a window will come up with about 40 of the most commonly used colors to choose from; however, you have more color options. Click the "More Colors" button (see figure 2) and the window will change to include 216 web friendly colors (see figure 4). Web friendly means that most web browsers support those colors. As if 216 colors were not enough to choose from, you can also create your own custom colors by changing the numbers in the "R" (red), "G" (green), and "B" (blue) boxes on the left side of the window (see figure 5). This gives you virtually limitless options for colors.(figure 4)
(figure 5)
After setting the foreground and/or background color for the text, click the "Save" icon in the top, left corner of the Page Editor to save your work.
*Note: If you create a custom color to use on your website, it may not display properly as it is not one of the 216 web friendly colors. To be safe and insure all your visitors see the same colors on your website, we recommend only using the 216 web friendly colors.
*Tip: If you decide to create a custom color, start by clicking a color from the color palette that is close to the color you want to create. Then make minor changes to the numbers in the "R" (red), "G" (green), and "B" (blue) boxes (see figure 5) until you have the color you want.


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By Jake Tapper and Jessica Metzger
EDITOR'S NOTE: Jake Tapper is an anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent for CNN. He's also the author of the best-selling book about Afghanistan "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor"
In her senior year at West Point, Candace Fisher decided she wanted to join the Military Police since it would allow her the most options "to do the most soldier-like things," Fisher recalled in an interview with CNN.
In 2006 and 2007, Fisher served at what would become Combat Outpost Keating, one of the most dangerous bases in Afghanistan. Fisher – who then went by her maiden name, Mathis – led a platoon of Military Police, supervising 36 troops, including six other women, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 71st Cavalry.
With Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announcing today that the Pentagon would end its policy of excluding women from combat positions, Fisher – reached at Fort Leonard Wood in the Missouri Ozarks, where she is currently a small group leader for an officer leadership course – said the Army was acknowledging what has already in many ways become a reality in the military.
"It's a formalization of what we've been experimenting with the last ten to twelve years in Iraq and Afghanistan," Fisher told CNN. "I think that those two conflicts have probably given the Army a pretty good idea of whether or not an actual policy change was warranted."
Even though Fisher is Military Police and not Infantry or Cavalry, she says "given the nature of the fight over the last ten years or so, it's made us all very dependent on each other as far as branches, interdependent as far as combined action and combined arms. So there has been a lot of bleed-over for missions regardless of what branch you are based on the conflict."
During one mission in October 2006, Fisher and her MPs were teamed up with Able Troop's 3rd platoon when they had to push through a complex ambush. The female MPs returned fire along with the male soldiers. Actually, one male soldier recalled, with their AT-4 grenade launchers, the MPs had stronger firepower than the scout platoon.
Fisher, 30, speculates that had the ban on women serving in combat missions happened before she chose the Military Police, "maybe the 22 year old gung-ho me would have" applied to serve in a combat unit. "But at this point I'm really happy with the choice I made. It's great that those opportunities are going to be there for future women soldiers," she said.
She takes criticisms of the policy change seriously. Of those who say women don't have the upper body strength to serve in combat roles, Fisher said, "I think that's one of the reasons that Secretary Panetta is allowing the branches the time to do their analysis and give their feedback, because I'm sure that is a concern." She personally doesn't "have the upper body strength that a man does," Fisher says, but "I do know some females out there who are exceptional athletes who can certainly hold their own with their male counterparts. So I think that whatever those branches decide needs to be their standard in order to facilitate their mission."
Regardless of a soldier's gender, what matters is that he or she can meet the standard, Fisher says.
Before Fisher and her MP platoon were deployed to what would become Combat Outpost Keating, one officer recalls, there was concern about sending female soldiers to the frontlines of the conflict. Fisher and her soldiers "were manning the same machine guns on patrols as our CAV scouts, which our senior leaders did not like," the officer recalls. Then those concerns turned into ones about possible "General Order 1" violations – intimate relations between unmarried troops. There were myriad rumors of such prohibited contact.
In terms of fraternization, Fisher says, "people are always going to have those concerns, and whenever you get groups of people together, there's always either going to be that perception or there's going to be the few that do violate those types of policies… I don't think it's going to be enough to detract from the mission."
(Фитнес для дома) Данное видео предназначено для тренировки дома.
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Просто включайте и начинайте пятиминутную тренировку, а в случае, если готовы, то повторите ее несколько раз.
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Дорожно-транспортные происшествия аминь частое явление для наших дорогах, преимущественно в условиях интенсивного городского трафика. Обычно срочная продажа авто в битом состоянии очень затруднительна и связана с целым вплотную трудностей. Всетаки выбирая нашу компанию хозяин такого автомобиля избавляется не только от своего транспортного имущество в максимально короткие сроки, однако и получает изза него хорошие деньги. Перед тем точно продать автомобиль владельцу приходится приводить его в презентабельный лоск (покраска, полировка), а также присутствие наличии технических неисправностей возникает нищета в их устранении (вознаграждение изношенных деталей) ради всетаки это необходимо пора и финансовые капиталовложения. Для избавить себя через лишних затрат и сэкономить свое пора автовладелец может воспользоваться нашим срочным выкупом авто в Черкассах. У нас лучшей – заходи! в Черкассх, обращайтесь!
I think it's great that we allow women in combat .God bless them. We need all the soldiers we can get!
Wow because this is great job! Congrats and keep it up.|
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Paying bounties to eliminate Islamic clerics is the most pragmatic and cheapest answer to stop global Islamic violence and terrorism. If those bounties are payable exclusively to Muslim women, they can have control and overpower the terrorists.
Hey MEN!
If the founding fathers were to come back and see this...They would tie us to a pole in the town square and horse whip us ALL!! for cowardice! Starting with the joint Chiefs – and working their way down.
Awesome, I not only live in a republic that condoned the killing of over 50 million unborn children, we now have our women fighting our wars for us/with us.
We are done, our society has reached the apex of infantilism, and immasculation worthy of being snuffed out by Islam!!
Great work Leon, Barry!
Not to be a nitpicker here, but aren't those captain's bars she's wearing?
Yes. And...??
If she were in any branch of the military either than the navy, that would be true, but genius, those are lieutenant bars. Read and comprehend the article
Jkc, fisher is a captain, not a Lt. Two bars connected is the O-3 rank in all branches. In the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps that rank is designated Captain. In the Navy it is Lieutenant. The picture is in fact incorrectly labeled, not that it pacts the article at all. Nowhere does it say she served in the navy.
Did anyone read the article. She is now a CPT at Ft. Leonard Wood, obviously she was a LT when the pic during her deployment was taken.
Incorrect. She is clearly a Captain in the picture. There is a 1LT in the picture but it is not Fisher.
Here is the reality that this and other articles that are obviously favorable to women in combat leave out. It is customary during long marches for women to put their field gear on vehicles to have them transported and the men to be required to carry theirs. The guys see this and resent it. They know that the physical requirements are different because women can't cut it. Being an MP is NOT the same as an infantryman. Grunts go out in the bush for extended periods of time and engage in extended firefights that require much manuvering. MPs don't do that. Any guy that has been in combat for long periods of time knows that women will not be able to cut it. Not only will they die but guys who depend on them will also die. Sad commentary on us as a nation and civilization that common sense is abandoned.
Also you left out the problem that exists today of the high incidence of women getting pregnant and ot being able to deploy. Wait until the face combat in infantry units and watch the pregnancies increase.
No one is claiming MP is Infantry. Neither is better than the other as they are both unique and if working together bring some major awesomeness to the table. Females have been in the front lines throughout this whole war on terror in respect to combat arms/support. Medics and MP's in particular. And your claim on long ruck marches with females getting to frontload gear and males carrying their stuff around,that is absolute bollocks,and I've been in almost 10 years now.
I hate how everything is becoming so PC. The REAL issues are not women being able or not being able to handle physical and psychological standards. It's basic stuff like taking a dump right in plain site of men and being nude in front of men. That sort of deal. I can't imagine being at some OP with women doing the stuff infantrymen do out in the REAL mess. We aren't talking on the comfy FOBs where danger is not nearly as great and we have porta potties or more advanced toilet facilities, but out in the REAL danger where every day your life is a fight.
On all my deployments, I worked with female soldiers, Michael, It wasn't in a "comfy FOB" it was on cordon and search missions, route and area recon missions and dignitary protection missions. Your concerns are baseless. They handled their own, I would go to war with them in a heartbeat, they are better soldiers than the ones that complain and can't adapt to change in the combat environment. Did I want to see a female soldier wounded or killed? of course not, but I didn't want to see that occur to any of my soldiers male or female. Females have been carrying the fight to the ememy for years, if they can meet the standards then allow it. They are soldiers and are expected to fight like a soldier.
You are full of bull!!!! Unless Vietnam is so very different from combat in wars fought today there is no way that they can cut it. Either you have hidden agendas or you are just fantasizing!!!! You should be well aware of the obvious physical limitations of women as well as the very different phsycholical makeup.
Some females can give the most physically fit males a run for their money by surpassing even the highest of male standards. And psychologically,females generally tend to cope better than their male counterparts. I'm not being biased. It's just what I noticed during my deployment.
You could fit all those women (who would meet the PT standards) in a room the size of a pantry. This is pure pandering, devisive politics, and in NO Way improves the readinass of our armed forces. In fact the opposite is true.
One of the negative repercussions of this policy- is its adverse impact on the children of single mothers. I'm
thinking of the many orphans this may produce in this country.
Are you saying it's ok for children of single-fathers to be orphaned? Because that's happening now yet nobody's gives a rat's patootie.
Women should not be in combat.
They should be the ones in command, implementing battle plans, and running the show.
Men make great soldiers.
Women make superior leaders.
What are you craaazzzee Petrushka.
By golly, we need them women in combat. Do you think our goyim boys are gonna want to ja.ck.it. off every night????
With all these women in combat, our goyim boys and hot to trot girls will get a little bit of sack time before those towel head fire 'em up with some lead in the pants. Heck, when their higher-up/E-5s tell our generation of new cattle soldiers to "hump that mountain on the double" there will be new meaning to the order and boy 'o boy . . .you can bet there will be lots of h.u.m.p.i.n.g.
Now, what red-blooded American boy and girl will not want to get to some h.u.m.p.i.n.g-time in green while a rag-tag bunch of towel heads are blowing them up?
Yeah . . . unless you been there, sh-ut the ump.p.p up! Remember our enemies are your enemies . . . LOL!
We israelies love it when you dorks go to war for us.
While you stupid'er than stupid goyim are fighting and killing and getting killed, mained and hurt for us, we'll be laughing at you stupid id-otts! Just keep the money coming in!!! Chaaaaa-ching!!
Heeeee-hawwwwwwww! Getttty-up hi-how Silver . . . . opps, I meant silverman. . . . .Yippppeeeeeeee!
If they wanna make women completely equal in military operations they also need to make all women sign up for selective service like males do at 18. Fair is fair right?
I have no problem with lifting of the ban; and I completely agree with your point. Come war time you too can get drafted! Equal Rights equal fights!
Women in Combat Support and Combat Service Support units think they have been in "combat" by supporting counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Wait until the US faces an enemy with numerical superiority, technological parity, and the will to win. Google "Chosin Reservoir", "Kasserine Pass", or "Ong Thanh". Better yet, look up "Cherkassy Pocket" for the German experience on the Eastern Front. No air support, no reinforcements, no ammunition, no food, freezing temperatures, and a numerically superior enemy that wants to annihilate you. There were 30,000 German casualties during the 3 week battle. That's a far cry from driving around in an MRAP waiting to get hit by an IED or sniper fire, then saturating the ridgeline with 10,000 rounds of small arms and an A-10/Apache strike, after which you go back to the FOB for a hot shower/meal and watch a movie. Afghanistan is hardly a litmus test to say that women are ready for all combat arms positions.
Well said, but seems to be how modern conflicts are trending.
We pushed across the border with females in Iraq for the invasion, no showers, no FOB and no movies. I had females at my outpost in Afghanistan, field shower, slit trench at first with a enemy that had religious idiology not political or racial superiority in mind. The battles of past were horrific, I give great respect to those that fought them, we cannot discount our current warriors who have fought battles and have been wounded and died in Iraq and Afghanistan, they are no less deserving of our respect for their will to fight in their battles of our modern era and we shouldnt downplay the fight they are in as less dangerous or less of a fight as in history. A bullet and a RPG are the same no matter what era you speak of, they kill the same.
1) AT4 is an Anti-Tank Rocket, not a grenade launcher. What they were probably referencing was the MK-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher. MP's and Infantry are the ones that primarily mount those weapons systems, and usually the Heavy Weapons Company/Platoon in the Infantry is the unit that has the most of these with the exception of the MPs.
2) The reason the MP's use a lot of these is they are primarily conducting mounted patrols, mounted escort, or a combination of mounted and dismount PSD mission, but not typically dismounted Patrols
3) Dismounted Patrols require a significantly different mindset and strength than do mounted patrols.
Not saying that women can't do it, but comparing MP mounted patrols and firefights to a lot of the Infantry dismounted patrols and firefights is a disservice and is misleading to the general public.
As a MP unit we did foot patrols and cordon and searches on all the time with an occasional fight. My females were warriors and I would go back to battle with them again in a heartbeat.
As an MP you cannot speak for the Infantry. Unless you have been there and done it don't try and pawn yourself off as a Grunt. You had a very different job than we had. During TET MPs in Saigon were called upon to engage in a lot of combat but limited to an urban area. They had a very hard time of it.
The comment on ' it's a formalization '
Keith Grant
Parents of children and people who have served in Iraq war know the truth. Women have served at the front lines throughout the whole war. My daughter served as an MP in Najaf area in 2004-5 and was attached to !st Cav , Marines that were at the Cemetery, and other front line Units. She was a turret gunner on a Humvee and saw constant action even receiving a Commendation for Valor in the attack on Camp Gulf. But what eats at my craw is she wasn't allowed to wear her Spurs from the 1st Cav or the Wings she received from the Marines on her uniform even though she earned them because she wasn't suppose to be in a front line Unit which she was attached to. It is just a dirty little secret that Women have been there the whole war but not acknowledged for it because of bad press.
I think that some people don't understand the difference between 'combat' and an actual combat arms job in the army.
Great, you mounted up and manned a turret on a patrol, I respect that, I haven't done it.
However, that is a far cry from carrying a 70lb + kit 15 miles through the mountains (at the very lightest, many are 100-120lb or more) then engaging in a 30 hour firefight.
I don't mind females in combat. I DO mind the double standard that exists currently for physical fitness, and I certainly mind the whole "they just want to fight" mindset. There are many people who want to do it, but believe it or not many people are not cut out for certain jobs in the military, on top of that, many civilians aren't cut out for the military at all.
Amen! The day a woman can carry my 220lb body, in full kit, off a mountain top after being shot all to pieces is the day I'll support this. Until then, keep manning the deuce and stop the complaints.
Spurs are reserved for individuals of the Cavalry or Armor MOS's or Infantry that were assigned to them, not attached. There are also Silver and Gold, one earned for a Deployment and one earned for the Spur Ride.
Not being able to wear the wings has nothing to do with her being a female or not supposed to be at the front. It more than likely has to do with uniform regulations with awards from other branches. Wings are universally worn, so gender and MOS don't really have any play in that situation.
As a former female member of the US Army MP Corps, I would have to say that I'm not proud, because war is downright stupid.
I won't comment with my opinion on this, it won't change anything and doesn't matter, I'm sure others have the same opinion I do, but I just thought it was somewhat interesting that CNN has their little question for the poll asking "Should women be allowed in combat"...well...uh...they already are, this new thing is direct combat JOBS not whether or not they should be allowed in it. These days, there's not really a defined front-line, especially with combat support MOS's (jobs) also seeing combat. I think they should reword the question because some people might answer yes to "Should women be allowed in combat" but no to "Should women be allowed in direct combat jobs".
Just a thought, because there is a difference between the two, the majority of grunts have no issue with women serving in other jobs, most have an issue with them being in infantry.
But I digress.
"I won't comment with my opinion on this, it won't change anything and doesn't matter, I'm sure others have the same opinion I do, but who cares what we think, we have a stegosaurus to look out for."
I didn't mean anything by it, but I just don't care to share my opinion. Some people will agree, some won't agree, there's no point to add another yes man or no man.
I am the only one who noticed the AT-4 being called a "grenade launcher" in this story?
Am I the only one...stupid autocorrect
It made more sense the first time any way.
I assume you also noticed that the text under the image identifies Fischer as a Lt. but is clearly wearing the insignia of a Captain. Wonder if she likes being demoted two ranks.
I noticed it as well. They obviously meant MK-19, but somehow AT4 popped in there...either because someone is an idiot, or some other reason that I cannot think of.
However, yes, MPs typically have significantly more MK-19's than any other unit. The only exception might be a Heavy Weapons Platoon in the Infantry, but those Platoons are relatively small. MP's have so many heavy weapons because their missions are primarily mounted escort or PSD.
Don't forget route recon an surveillance, manuever and mobility support, Intelligence preperation of the battlefield, anti terrorism, tactical combat force (TCF) and passage-of-lines ops just to name a few. MP's are a force multiplier and are considered the "commanders force of choice" due to the economy of force organization of the MP unit.
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, approximately 230 million years ago, and were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for 135 million years, from the beginning of the Jurassic (about 200 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (66 million years ago), when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of most dinosaur groups at the close of the Mesozoic Era. The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period and, consequently, they are considered a subgroup of dinosaurs in most modern classification systems.[2][3] Some birds survived the extinction event that occurred 66 million years ago, and their descendants continue the dinosaur lineage to the present day.[4]
AWWW,LOOK how cute they look posing like they're in a club.PATHETIC!
Your poor daughter.
@ Big Guy with a Bazooka, For your information those women who are in the picture are in a "group" per say something you know nothing about apparently. You are the one who is pathetic considering you think that you have a big one :). I as a military wife love the fact that this ban has been lifted finally.
My daughter is a senior at West Point now, and decided to branch to MP's as well. She told me last night that is the reason she branched to MP's, to be the soldier that she trained 4 years to become.Not to show someone that she could be as good as a male, just to do the job she was trained to do.
Your daughter gets an extra 3-5 minutes to do the same physical challenges as a man. Here are the Male and Female PT standards for the Army:
Male 17-21 years old : 2 Mile Run 100% : 13:00
Female 17 – 21 : 2 Mile Run 100% : 15:36
Male Pushups 100% : 71
Female P-Ups 100%: 42
This is just an example... the rate at the bottom to just pass is even larger.
Well don't hold it against his daughter, be a man and take it up with the drill sergeant, it is clearly bothering you.
Here's my question. Say the enemies somehow capture a squad of US soldiers made up of both men and women. Does anyone think that the misogynistic taliban will treat the female soldiers worse than the male soldiers? I don't know, I'm just asking.
Another mean spirited broad bragging about her chance to kill. This kind of bravado makes me sick! Like I said many times before, there is no glory in killing contrary to American public opinion!!!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA phunnie boy you are cracking me up.
As a Marine Infantryman I have no problem with women joining the combat arms as long as they meet the physical and mental requirements. One thing people have confused with our recent experience in Iraq and Afghanistan is that their is a big difference between being "in combat" and fighting. Anyone wearing a uniform can wake up and find themselves "in combat", going out and killing deliberately is a different ball game. Also we can't forget that what we've done in the past 12 years isn't neccessarily what our NEXT war will look like. War on the Korean peninsula will be far different (and far more difficult physically) than what we've been doing.
Fisher is wearing a captain's rank. I believe the caption should be corrected.
Good. It is about time that women have the opportunity to protect this country like everyone else.
Going to a place where you have no right to be in the first place in order to kill people who don't deserve to die is hardly defending anything let alone your country! Get real, will you?
Afghanistan was a just war crazy. They were harboring and hiding terrorists.
Yes Afghan and Paki muslim terrorists are crazy MFs so it is okay to drone them God.
Spare us the left wing hyperbole. I have been there and done that. I am really sick of it. Sometimes you have to stand and fight and it isn't always clean. That is war and that is life.
So... If I slap a bi*ch around because she talks to me like a man is that okay now? Or will everyone say "but , but , but you can't hit a girl!!! "
No, you'll get written up by your Commanding Officer for assault and insubordination, duh. The same would happen if you did that to a man.
a 18 year old male has to do 42 push ups just to get a 60 to pass\
if a female does the same 42 push ups she gets 100 she only has to do 19 to pass
is that equality
Yes, the females want equality but there is a double standard. If they would have to do the same numbers of push up like the guys and score the same without the double standard, guess what? they will cry and complain about discriminating against women.
All they want is to be allowed to serve in combat. Let them do it.
Women already do combat but don't get paid for it and don't get career recognition for it. Is that fair?
I'm curious to know exactly what you are trying to state here. Are you assuming that soldiers in combat specialties get additional pay that non-combat and combat support soldiers don't? Or are you saying that female soldiers don't receive Combat Zone Tax Exclusion and Hostile Fire Pay, etc?
Either way, you are misinformed and have only succeeded in making yourself look ignorant. Soldiers deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan, regardless of gender, receive the same pay. There are instances where soldiers performing certain duties are given additional allowances i.e EOD techs, which is not an all-male MOS, being paid demo pay.
The Combat Action Badge (Look it up) was designed specifically to give recognition to men and women who had been engaged by the enemy (IED's included) who are not of the Infantry MOS or Medical MOS. Infantry receives the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) and Medics receive either the Combat Action Badge (CAB) or Combat Medic Badge (CMB).
My point is that recognition is given to Soldiers (In the army at least) who are engaged by or engage the enemy. Additionally, for enlisted Soldiers, these awards are accompanied by promotion points.
You have a binder too don't you?
The same tired excuses have been used to keep women locked up at home, prevent them from ownership, getting a job, get higher education, vote, run for office, and everything else. Seriously, don't you feel even a little bit pathetic bringing them up again?
Hi, like i said show some love. i believe you an others are forgetting the prison are fill all over the united states. inlist those men an women to help with the proper training. an some thing to live for it's worth a big consideration do you think. some one please forward this to our congress/men&woman as soon as possible. show some love. p.s. they need to pay the people back for all we do.
Having spent 20 years in the military and serving with both men and women. i think women are just as capable as men- and as far as the pt test and strength goes..combat has changed...every heard of drones, fighter jets, missiles, intelligence, and other non hand to hand combat...we have evolved in how we fight....stop watching gladiator movies.
Yes; you super women go get them; and good luck to you!! I am sure once they see you; the enemy will run...
You're a real clown Nathan, and you have no respect for the fighting men and women who defend your freedoms!
War has changed and when women walk along side men on dismounted patrols in enemy territory, they ARE in
combat and have died doing this. Too bad you can't appreciate the sacrifices made by the brave, for the free!
I will add to what you said here. In today's world there are no front lines. If you are on a FOB or COP, you are still in a combat zone and can die just as quickly as anyone else. IDF doesn't discriminate.
Insecure much?
If modern combat remained an arena of brute strength, then indeed, few female military members would be able to meet the standards for a successful combatant. Currently however, warfare is a combination of the strength needed to get your weapons (whatever type they may be, small arms, grenade launchers, rifles, tanks, air power....) into the combat area, the talent and training to hit your mark and the courage to make it so. In very few instances are combatants going hand-to-hand. Throughout my deployments, I have seen many casualties, most the result of mounted and un-mounted explosions. (MRAP and IED incidents). Very few of them were in a situation where gender would have changed the outcome. We are a nation and a military composed of diverse individuals with diverse strengths and talents. It is cutting off our nose to spite our face if we decide to ignore the talents and strengths of our people merely on the basis of gender. Set the standards and allow those that aspire to serve in that capacity to test against them. Make talent and ability to criteria, not anatomy.
@ Kashidog.... hey dog you have no idea what you're talking about.... just because you went some FOB as a engineer or some other gay ass job took a few rockets doesn't mean you been in combat POG. For all of you who thinks this is Iraq where you lazy fatty's drove everywhere let me tell you this we walk everywhere up and down mountains. I was 220 pounds and solid and know I am 175 and starving.... you think I got that from not using a lot of brute strength chump man you live in la la land and for all of you that spent time in Afghanistan on some huge fob as a supply clerk FYI you were never in Combat
Your kind of an idiot, but I agree I don't think females can do certain things. Maybe world class athletes, but most of the females I knew in the Army couldn't do ONE correct push up. Now if they can do it... ok more power to you. If not... this isn't a G.I. Jane Movie
Not all wars resemble Iraq and Afghanistan where IEDs are predominate. We had them but there was a lot of direct contact with the enemy where you had to engage and manuver. What if we get in a war where this is the case? War with China probably will be more conventional.
As a combat veteran myself, I'll say this. If they want to break down the barrier seperating men from women in the military, then they need to make the P.T. test scores EQUAL. Why is it that a woman has an extra 3-5 minutes on thier 1.5 or 3 mile run? How is it that they have to do FAR less push-ups, sit-ups or pull-ups than a man does? If they make the P.T. test scores equal and a woman can score the SAME P.T. score as a man then I agree, let 'em fight with us. If not, back to the rear with the gear for you.
As a current female military officer....I CONCUR with you....If I can't meet the standards for a job, be it strength, intellect or ability, I have no business being there. All we want is the same chance as you to try for the position. As for the PT, I would welcome a change to the PT scoring; why should I be tested at a different level?
What would happen is the will lower the standards because other females will complain about gender discrimination. What about Selective Service? Are females mandated like the guys to register? Mmmmm
Come on dude... ease off the ladies! If they want to run slower than their male qounterparts/team mates... be cut-off and left behind because of inferior training and abilities and die...who are we to demand equality?
Just kidding! It should not be an issue. All soldiers must be equal in all points when it comes to being prepared for entering combat scenarios.
When a male soldier weighs 140 lbs. and stands 5'5" tall, is he allowed to run slower, carry less equipment and/or be less of a participant within the team, squad, platoon...etc. when the rest of the team are 180 lbs. and 6'0" tall?
No...no...and NO! Male or female, you clime the same mountain, run the same course and score above the same minimum for men and women soldiers. Why would a woman soldier want to be considered as inferior to male soldiers by virtue of physical strength and abilities before they enter an assault team?
Nukem til they glo...!
I was 5'9" and weighed 140 lbs but had to hump it the same as a guy 6'2" and 190 libs. They don't cut you any slack because the other guy depends on you. A male can do that. A female can't. When you go up against an agressive enemy in hand-to-hand combat estrogen won't help you any. He will beat you everytime.
If the can pass the same exams that men do; its their choice in job/.
What exams? witing and reading? What about physical endurance and be able to carry large loads? Ohhhhhh! I see, the blind man to his deaf and dumb daougher, while he swung the hammer.
The female PT test is extremely easier than the males. For instance a man must literally run to pass the 2 mile for the Army.. the female time can be achieved by power walking. That's the difference.
Teach those Towel Heads a thing or two about women. Hahahahahahahahahahah
exceptional female athletes are the only ones that can hold their own with a man of average abilities.
Paul, while that's certainly true in most cases, i believe the article was saying that if she's competent enough to put a 9mm or a .223 right between your eyes at anywhere from 10 ft – 200 yds., who *cares* how fast she can run or if she can 'dance' with a guy?
I care ... cause as a 13B cannoner my primary weapon was a M777 lightweight howitzer ... that means whoever can't throw around 100lb rounds at a rate of 3-6 a min ends up becoming the PLs RTO or CMDRs driver! And why does everyone think that patrols are all vehicle mounted these days?! When we deployed in lieu of 11Bs we were going out on all day patrols for 10s of miles. Luckily the BTRY/CO that was at the COP before us fixed it pretty good ... we had working showers ... sort of.
Boy Lou. You are everything that is wrong with America. Europeans are right, Americans are ignorant and arrogant.
The Army cares how fast you can run... that's why we have a PT test.
The question is will this female soldier or Marine be able to shot straight after maneuvering for 10s of miles with a lot more gear than a MP ever has to carry? If you don't know anything about being a grunt wee do have different M.O.S.'s besides rifle men (0311 in the Marine Corps) which is seems like people don't realize because all everyone is talking about is how well these women shot the m-4 I was a 0341 Mortarmen in a Weapons Co. so we carrying the 81mm Mortar and I would love to see some of these ladies carry the 34lbs Mortar tube along with a full combat load and personal weapon up and down the mountains of Afghanistan and than still be combat effective when we reach the objective. I have no doubts that some women can handle the load but I just don't know that the risk is worth the reward as we have able body men to do these jobs and those men don't get pregnant which is one of my biggest concerns with this. Its not about a single mother dying and orphaning her child, its more about a fellow grunt getting pregnant before a deployment and being unable to join her fellow Marines or Soldiers in battle which will not only mess up moral but will also leave us short handed which puts the whole platoon at risk.
Ha , watching the WNBA is a joke, they can't even dunk .
Neither can you.
So what do you guys excel at exactly? Making fire?
Here comes a T-Rex, watch out!


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Sugar Maple
Veterinarian Reviewed on January 9, 2012 by Paulina Nelega, RH
Posted in Uncategorized
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple is a deciduous type of tree growing to the height of 25 to 35 meters. Its deciduous leaves measure to about 20 centimeters long having five palmate lobes. These leaves have fabulous range of fall color from yellow to red-orange. Its flowers are corymbs, yellow-green in color and have no petals. The fruit of Sugar Maple is double samara having two-winged seeds.
Sugar maple grows in regions having cool, moist climates. Its growing season is from eighty to two-hundred-sixty days. It can be planted on sands, sandy loams, loamy sands, and silt loams, but the best planting area is on a well-drained loam. Sugar maple does not grow very well on shallow, dry soils. In addition, it requires soils in the range of strongly acid to slightly alkaline.
Sugar maple trees are very seldom to flower until reaching at least twenty-two years old, although flowering became heavier during later ages. Usually, the flower buds begin to swell prior to the leaf buds showing activity. It will reach the full bloom about one to two weeks before the leaves emerge. The flowers on the other hand start to appear between the late March and the middle of May. These all depend on the geographical location.
History and Origin
Sugar Maple is species of maple commonly found in the northeastern part of North America. Its native range extends eastward, originating from the southeastern most of Manitoba passing through the central Ontario, southern part of Quebec, and the entire New Brunswick as well as Nova Scotia. In the United States territory, Sugar Maple spread throughout the New England, Pennsylvania, New York, and right in the middle of Atlantic States, towards southwestward passing central New Jersey up to the Appalachian Mountains, and going southward at North Carolina and to the southern most of Tennessee. Sugar Maple's western limit is in Missouri towards Kansas, then eastern part of Iowa and Minnesota.
Ancient Uses
Sugar maple is the prime source of the renowned maple sugar. At early spring, trees are tapped for the initial flow of sap that contains the highest sugar level. The collected sap is boiled and reduced to syrup. When concentrated further through evaporation, it produces the maple sugar.
Modern Uses
The Sugar Maple is the foremost and the best source of sap to make maple syrup. The wood on the other hand is considered one of the toughest, densest among the maple trees, and great for flooring and furniture. The bowling alleys as well as the bowling pins are made using sugar maple. The wood is also used in the flooring of basketball courts, and is a popular material for baseball bats. Moreover, it is preferred in the manufacturing of musical instruments including violins, guitars, and drum shells.
Side Effects
The maple sugar that can be produced from sugar maple is among the simple sugar additives. Simple sugar additives can be used in producing sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohol is a sugar replacement found in foods and drinks. Although manufacturers use sugar alcohol due to less calorie content, it can cause some side effects. The most common of these side effects include diarrhea, bloating, gas and other gastrointestinal issues.
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Our Expert
Paulina Nelega, RH, has been in private practice as a Clinical Herbalist for over 15 years. She has developed and taught courses in herbal medicine, and her articles on health have appeared in numerous publications. She is very passionate about the healing power of nature. Ask Dr. Jan


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Labbler: Does The Music Industry Need A Social Network?
Labbler is a relatively new music industry social network that is now in public beta. It plans to connects "Artists, Labels, Booking Agencies, Venues, Media and Fans as well as providing tools for all business needs of these groups." But though the sites looks nice and these groups of people all do need to connect in various ways, it's unclear why they would use Labbler to do so.
Labbler's website has a nice design that earned it some positive attention over the summer.
Quick Look at Labbler Interface
Labbler's features are straightforward with profiles, activity feeds and networking tools. Music-specific features include SoundCloud track imports, Beatport data imports and track uploads.
The homepage includes an extensive list of features and also the primary roles and business pages that can be included:
- Artist
- Label
- Club
- Media
- Promoter
- Booking
Though their self-description mentions fans there really isn't a clear role for them to play. In addition, the above categories plus Events are featured as navigation tabs across the social network and this also excludes fans as a category so it's currently not really designed for fans.
That may actually be a good thing since business networking and fan contact seem difficult to mix effectively.
As a music industry network the biggest problem facing Labbler is that artists and business people are already networking through a variety of services including LinkedIn and Twitter. But music industry specific networks have failed to break through and no one has been able to become the LinkedIn or Twitter of the music industry.
That means the challenge of giving people a reason to use Labbler looms much larger than effective design and operation of such a website.
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/App.net) blogs about music crowdfunding at Crowdfunding For Musicians (@CrowdfundingM). To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.


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Fix the Fundamental Problems that Lead to Unequal Health Opportunitiesby GDN Shared Post February 18, 2009
Among the many challenges facing President Obama is the need to improve the ailing U.S. health care system, which is fraught with high costs, inefficiency, and uneven quality, and which ranks among the most poorly-performing systems in the industrialized world.
To remedy these woes, the Obama administration will seek to expand insurance coverage, harness information technology to increase efficiency and reduce errors, and expand quality-improvement initiatives. All well and good.
But to really improve the nation's health and keep people from getting sick in the first place, Obama will need to look for solutions outside of health care. This is particularly true if he hopes to improve the health of the many millions of Americans who – by virtue of their race or ethnicity – face poorer health, often from birth to death.
Unequal health opportunities serve as a stark reminder of the distance that remains on America's road to equality. African-Americans, American-Indians, Alaska-Natives, and Pacific Islanders live shorter lives and have poorer health than Whites across a host of maladies, including higher rates of infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, as well as many other chronic and infectious diseases.
New Latino immigrants have better overall health than native-born people who have similar incomes and education, but their health (as well as that of other immigrants) tends to get worse the longer they live in the United States.
By the second generation, they too lag behind whites in many indicators. And while Asian Americans as a whole also fare better than whites, that's not true for some Asian-American sub-populations. For example, Vietnamese-American women have the highest rates of cervical cancer in the nation.
Solving these health inequities will be critical to improving the nation's overall health.
In the process, Obama will need to confront two persistent myths about health inequality that are shared by many policymakers and the general public.
One is that some racial and ethnic groups are prone to poor health because of inherent differences, such as genetic or biologic weaknesses. This myth often finds its way into media reporting on health disparities, such as the fact that African- Americans have nearly 50 percent higher rates of hypertension than U.S. whites.
The sexiest explanations for this phenomenon on TV are that the genes passed on by African-Americans' ancestors favored salt retention, which in turn can cause high blood pressure.
This "salt-slavery" hypothesis has been debunked by scientists, but still receives prominent attention in popular media, even making an appearance on an Oprah segment with Dr. Oz last year.
(In fact, hypertension rates among West Africans are about half that of African Americans, and rates of hypertension in several European nations are higher than among African Americans.)
Another is that poor health among some minorities is due to "bad behavior," such as sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, and weak compliance with doctors' recommendations.
Without question, healthy lifestyles are important to help prevent poor health and to effectively manage illness. But the "bad behavior" explanation ignores the fact that minorities are more likely than whites to live in communities where healthy eating and active lifestyles are difficult to achieve.
These are communities where grocery stores or markets selling fresh fruits and vegetables are few and far between; where fast-food outlets and take-out stands dominate neighborhood food options; where safe parks and recreational facilities are uncommon, if non-existent; and where doctors and good primary care are hard to find. And these problems are too often coupled with other neighborhood pathogens, including disproportionate liquor and tobacco advertising, unwalkable streets, and environmental health risks such as engine exhaust and commercial and industrial wastes.
The health challenges posed by these conditions are profound and can overwhelm even the most ardent attempts to stay healthy.
And they're fundamentally unfair, often posing the greatest challenges to children and youth before they have an opportunity for a healthy beginning in life.
What's needed is a comprehensive strategy for improving community resources for health and reducing environmental health risks. The federal government has an important role to play, but state and local governments also possess a great deal of power to address the problem.
The Obama Administration has committed to expanding federal support for community-based prevention in the context of the economic stimulus bill.
State and local governments can address health inequality by using their power to regulate land use, promote healthier and more effective public transportation, and improve housing options.
For example, states can improve the retail food environment by creating incentives for major grocery chains to establish stores in underserved communities, as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has done with its Fresh Foods Financing Initiative, or by encouraging the establishment of farmer's markets.
Or they can limit the proliferation of fast-food restaurants in poor communities, as the Los Angeles County Council did when it imposed a moratorium on the establishment of new fast-food restaurants in South Central L.A.
To be sure, government alone can't fully address health inequality. Other stakeholders, including business, faith groups, civic organizations, and others must also join the effort.
But the President can lead the charge, and in the process help America become a land where skin color doesn't limit people's opportunities for good health.
Brian Smedley is vice president and director of its Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.


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In a new survey of 1,147 American adults conducted by MagnifyMoney, more than one in four (26%) Americans said they plan to rack up holiday debt during the 2016 holiday season that will linger more than a month. Among the 26% who will rack up debt, 66% expect they will take three months or more to pay off the debt.
Holiday debt can quickly spiral out of control. MagnifyMoney found the average shopper surveyed who added debt during the 2015 holiday season racked up $1,073.
Using a credit card with average APR of 16% and making monthly minimum payments of around $25, it would take that person more than five years (61 months) to get out of debt, according to MagnifyMoney's Credit Card Payoff Calculator. Over that time, he or she would pay an additional $496 worth of interest charges.
Nearly one-third (32%) of this year's survey respondents said they incurred holiday debt during the 2015 shopping season. People who took on holiday debt in the past are much more likely to take on debt this year because they can't afford to pay cash, our survey found, with 74% saying they will incur debt this year. They are also more likely to feel financially stressed.
Among those respondents who incurred credit debt during the holidays in 2015 , the average shopper added $1,073 of holiday debt. And a staggering 74% said they will likely take on more credit debt again this year.
More debt = more financial stress
More than half (59%) of respondents who took on debt over the holidays in 2015 said they accumulated $500 or more of debt. Among people who said they racked up $500 or more in holiday debt in 2015, MagnifyMoney found greater trends of financial stress and a greater likelihood of incurring additional debt in 2016.
MagnifyMoney is a price comparison and financial education website, founded by former bankers who use their knowledge of how the system works to help you save money.
Check out the infographic below for the full survey results:


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Honeywell has been on a hiring spree, putting 900 military veterans on the payroll at its facilities in Minnesota and elsewhere since the start of 2011.
President Obama will spotlight those efforts Friday during an address at the manufacturer's campus in Golden Valley, where he'll hit a familiar campaign theme: getting veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq back to work.
Obama will announce a new "We Can't Wait" initiative during his Honeywell stop, according to a senior administration official. Heading the effort will be a newly established Defense Department task force for credentialing and licensing.
Many soldiers have had a difficult time translating their military work experience to civilian jobs, and the effort aims to help thousands of service members get the civilian credentials and licenses they need to score jobs in manufacturing and a range of other high-demand industries such as health care and trucking.
As many as 126,000 service members could benefit from the effort, the official said, adding that the cost would be "pretty minimal and paid for with existing resources."
It's the latest of a series of initiatives Obama has championed to help veterans, and his campaign has been underlining the effort as it tries to win support in a traditionally Republican voting bloc. A Memorial Day Gallup poll showed military veterans supporting Republican Mitt Romney over Obama 58 to 34 percent.
Honeywell is a fitting spot to unveil the latest program for returning veterans. A major defense contractor headquartered in Morristown, N.J., Honeywell International Inc. embraced Obama's hire-a-vet challenge last year with gusto, beating its own target of hiring 500 last year. It currently employs about 65 veterans in Golden Valley.
Among other things, Honeywell plants in the Twin Cities make the ring laser gyro, a common navigation device used on commercial and military aircraft.
The president will be introduced by Ryan Sullivan, a Navy veteran who began working as an electrical technologist at Honeywell's Golden Valley facility in February, according to the White House. After his military service, Sullivan returned to Minnesota where he earned a two-year degree in electrical maintenance and construction at the Dunwoody College of Technology.
Obama is expected to use the Honeywell stop to again urge Congress to pass legislation to create a Veterans Job Corps -- a work program reminiscent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and 1940s. The president's proposed $1 billion program would put 20,000 veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq to work over the next five years repairing infrastructure and restoring habitat on public lands, and working as cops and firefighters.
Last November, the president signed into law two tax credits -- one to nudge companies to hire unemployed veterans and another doubling an existing tax credit for hiring long-term unemployed veterans with disabilities.
Obama's address comes on a day filled with fundraising. He's holding three fundraisers in Minnesota, all at the Bachelor Farmer restaurant in Minneapolis, which is owned by the sons of Gov. Mark Dayton.
According to a campaign official, the fundraisers include two roundtables with the president -- one at $40,000 a head, the other $50,000 -- and a $5,000-a-person luncheon where the president will speak. As of Thursday, 100 people were signed up for the luncheon.
Political scientists noted that while Obama appears to be sincerely committed to veterans' issues, the address at Honeywell offers a suitable public, patriotic cause for a campaign visit.
Steven Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said he thinks veterans are too small a part of the electorate to be hugely influential in the election. And Minnesota, which generally leans left, is not regarded as a battleground state.
Smith said he thinks the address is more about reinforcing the image that every incumbent presidents wants "as an effective, forceful and caring commander in chief."
Obama's efforts are not without critics. A group of lawyers that includes Obama's former law professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard sued the Department of Veterans Affairs in June 2011 for not providing housing and mental health services for severely mentally disabled homeless veterans in Los Angeles.
The president has overlooked this vulnerable group of vets, said Mark Rosenbaum, chief counsel of the ACLU of Southern California. It's estimated that half of the roughly 102,000 homeless veterans in the country are severely mentally disabled, he said.
"The administration has taken the position in court that they have no authority or responsibility to provide housing for these vets so that they have access to services," he said. "They are literally dying on the streets."
A White House spokesperson said the Obama Administration takes the mental health of veterans very seriously.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced they will add nearly 2,000 mental health staff to serve the growing needs of Veterans," the spokesperson said. "The VA has also taken unprecedented steps to combat homelessness among veterans, and since President Obama took office, the ranks of homeless Veterans have fallen by 40,000 nationwide."
Strong work ethic
Golden Valley is the home of Honeywell's largest business unit, automation and controls, which accounted for about $15 billion of its $37 billion in revenue last year.
The division makes and services a range of environmental and security controls for homes and buildings, sensors for health care devices and software for refineries and wastewater treatment facilities.
Company spokesman Mark Hamel said the company has trained and hired veterans for a wide range of jobs -- from factory workers to plant managers to engineers.
Hamel said the company recruits veterans directly through branches of the military and through outside organizations such as Military Officers Association of America and The Officer Placement Corps. The company also recruits veterans through referrals from other employees.
"We find that their work ethic, their learning skills are a nice fit," Hamel said.
"They're definitely an important component of our recruitment efforts when we look out for the kind of talent we need to help our businesses succeed."
Jennifer Bjorhus • 612-673-4683 email@example.com Susan Feyder • 612-673-1723 email@example.com


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G-RaZoR needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 49 designs submitted by 19 freelance designers.
JiffyCheck.com is in need of a logo. Something scalable, professional, and eye catching.
---Create a Tagline!!!--
Desired Color Scheme:
Any Color Scheme desired, no pink
Accepted File Formats:
PSD, and AI
The site is a startup that will be selling items like background checks, criminal history reports, credit reports, driving history lookups, etc. I made a logo for it (available on jiffycheck.com) but I don't like it that much. I want something better. I am completely open to any colors at all (except pink).
For more idea how the content that I would be selling, check out sites like:
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.