Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
United Kingdom	To the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?	I think the issue with Cheddar in this country is that most people consider Cheddar to be a word meaning "Generic bland cheese". Most people have no clue even that Cheddar is English in origin, should not be orange, and is supposed to have some taste! I've been to Cheddar many times - had some family that lived nearby. I think they'd be bemused at some of the stuff here that bears it's name.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-06-07 15:09:00
United Kingdom	To the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?	Cheers for all the cheese advice, fellow Wallace & Grommits! Of course, I risk being ostracized by my neighbours for disparaging their famed local dairy produce. Maybe it's something I'm only supposed to ask for on street corners: "Psst! Got any Kerry?" Edited by SteveLaura, 07 June 2007 - 03:02 PM.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-06-07 15:01:00
United Kingdom	To the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?	I'd also recommend Canadian mature cheddar which is usually sold at Trader Joe's. There are 2 in Wisconsin, one in Glendale (Milwaukee) and another in Madison. If you live near either of those, I'd heartily recommend TJ's for cheese and almost everything else, they're great. I wish they'd build one a bit nearer to me (closest is 200 miles). Yeah, Trader Joe's isn't far from us - isn't that where they sell the two buck chuck? Thanks for the info. Oh, and in case you were ever wondering, I had the cylinder head replaced on the car. Works fine now.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-06-07 14:50:00
United Kingdom	To the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?	Not on the topic of sweetness, but the thing I used to really miss was good cheese (and I'm in Wisconsin!) It's all rubbery and artificially coloured. I like my cheddar pale yellow, crumbly and strong. See if you can find this in your local store, although it is from Vermont, so local pride of Wisconsin might stop them selling it. Cool, I'll check it out. Our local Pick 'n' Save used to sell Dubliner cheese, which fit the bill, but it was pricey & I haven't seen it recently.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-06-07 14:44:00
United Kingdom	To the Brits - do you think everything here in the US is too sweet?	I was alarmed at the sweetness of bread here when I first arrived, but can't say (after 22mths here) that I notice it now. Used to look aghast at syrup being poured onto the same plate as bacon, sausages, etc; now I'm doing the same. When I need a baked beans fix, I opt for Heinz still, tho'. Most disheartening of all is that I only notice the blandness of Hershey's when I get to have some choccy from the UK. Not on the topic of sweetness, but the thing I used to really miss was good cheese (and I'm in Wisconsin!) It's all rubbery and artificially coloured. I like my cheddar pale yellow, crumbly and strong.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-06-05 10:03:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Old timer checking in, plus question	You have the option of applying based on a 3 year marriage to a US citizen and 3 year Permanent Residency status or based on a 5 year Permanent Residency status. The choice is yours. If you apply based on the 3 year marriage, then you would include those items listed for a marriage status application. Since you intend to apply based on your 5 year PR status then you don't need to include the other stuff, just the basic list, including the 5 years of Income Tax transcripts. Those are available free from the IRS and are the easiest ways to provide that documentation. Naturalization is really the easiest part of this whole process. Submit the copies with the application (except where it says originals) and then bring the originals with you to the interview. Since they know they will be interviewing you they don't really review your application in any great detail until you are at the interview. It would be a good idea to bring along your marriage certificate and your daughter's birth certificate with you to the interview as added evidence but you are unlikely to need them - it is just good to have them if they ask. Once you submit the application you will receive your NOA1 followed in about a month by an RFE notice- don't worry about that - it is what they are now calling the Biometrics appointment. At your biometrics appointment be sure to ask for the Naturalization Study Guide booklet - you can use it to study for the test. Good luck . Excellent, excellent stuff. Thank you!	SteveLaura	Male	England	2010-12-16 16:29:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Old timer checking in, plus question	You need: 1. Filled out N400 form 2. Check $680.00 3. Birth Certificate 4. Marriage Certificate 5. Children's Birth Certificates OR 3 years of ITRs 6. Spouse's Birth Certificate 7. Copy of green card 8. 2 photos (2x2) Couple of additional questions, based on this: 1) The sheet 'Who is eligible for Naturalization' states that if I'm over 18 and have been here for 5 years (plus the moral standing, etc), I'm eligible. The sheet 'Document checklist' states that the other paperwork is required if I'm "applying for naturalization on the basis of marriage to a US citizen." Now, I am married to a US citizen, but I'm not applying on that basis. I'm applying because I've been here over 5 years & I qualify. If I had only been here 3 years, the other stuff would become necessary, is how I read it. I'll get all the other stuff together, if it's needed regardless, but to me that's not what it says. 2) What are ITRs? And hi Krikit!!	SteveLaura	Male	England	2010-12-15 12:02:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Old timer checking in, plus question	Let's try this again, shall we? It looks to me like I managed to post a blank page... OK, so some of you may remember me from waaaay back, and if so, here's the update: Still happily married to Laura, and now with a 1 yr old called Leila (see below) who is so sweet. Step-daughter Bella is now 10 and is interested in gymnastics and clothes. I'm still attempting to finish my children's book (my self-imposed New Year's deadline for the first draft may be just a tad out of reach, alas), and pretty much everything else is as was, back in the day. So, apart from checking in (and noticing some familiar posters, if not their new names) I have a quick question: We're going to be starting my final visa journey with the path to citizenship in the next couple of weeks. I've had a brief perusal of the dreaded USCIS site and I just want to check if I'm reading it right. I came over via the fiance visa and have been here over 5 years now. Would I be right in thinking that I don't need to submit copies of my marriage certificate/joint IRS forms/mortgage/Leila's birth certificate and whatever else they deem necessary? Is that stuff only if I'd been here 3-5 yrs? All I need is the form, the photos, the photocopy of my green card and the check? That's it. Hope all is good in VJLand for you all. Cheers, Steve (of SteveLaura infamy)	SteveLaura	Male	England	2010-12-15 10:56:00
Canada	Sicko	It is in the best interests of any country to have a healthy population. Does that need to be stated? Apparently so. You want a vibrant, efficient economy? You need healthy people. That's from the bottom up. You need the bloke driving the school bus to be healthy. You need the blokes emptying your rubbish to be healthy. You need the people maintaining the sewer system to be healthy. OK, you get the picture. So, I am willing (hear me, IRS) to PAY MORE (!) to ensure that EVERYONE is covered medically. I am willing to do this because, selfishly, I want my rubbish taken away. I don't want the bloke on the school bus putting off getting his heart checked out. I don't want shite flying out of my loo. And because I believe that a rich, civilised country should demand that health care is a right. We put certain things above money. We do not pay mercenaries to defend the nation. We don't have private security firms to police the cities. We feel that these are too important to be profit-led, and we put faith in our administrations to fund them properly and get the job done. The NHS has problems, no doubt about that. But the basic system isn't flawed. In the UK you will get treatment. Here, you may have to fight. Because you are paying into a system that stays in business by denying claims. Universal health care will not mean lack of choice. There will still be that privately-funded hospital to go to if you wish. Beyond that, how much choice do you want, realistically? For example, I shop at the local Pick 'n Save cos it's close to home, has pretty much all my weekly needs, and is good value. Shopping for health care is not much different. For routine work, you are most likely to chose your provider on the same terms as you do your supermarket. America is the Can Do place, right? Prove it. You've heard all the gripes about what's not right with the Canadian/British health care systems. Show us how it's done. Provide the best fcuking universal health care in the world. Enough with the "Oh, it won't work" shite. Git r done (I believe the phrase is). Edited by SteveLaura, 16 July 2007 - 12:55 PM.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-07-16 12:54:00
Canada	Sicko - Don't Cry - get angry and do something about it	I'm not going to say that the information you posted is necessarily incorrect (I'm sure some of it is right), but you do realize that ANYONE can create and edit entries on Wikipedia, don't you? Because of that, I wouldn't really rely on it as an accurate source. I understand how Wikipedia works and that, as such, you need to consider the source. However, the figures posted in the quote are from other (in most cases, named) sources and can therefore be verified.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-07-16 14:27:00
Canada	Sicko - Don't Cry - get angry and do something about it	Wikipedia is my friend today. The U.S. spends more on health care, both as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) and on a per-capita basis, than any other nation in the world. Current estimates put U.S. healthcare spending at approximately 15% of GDP, the world's highest... The overall performance of the United States health care system was ranked 37th by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000, but the same report assessed Americans' overall health at 72nd among 191 member nations included in the study... Uninsured Americans are less likely to have regular health care and use preventive services. They are more likely to delay seeking needed care, resulting in more medical crises and emergency hospitalizations, which are more expensive than ongoing treatment for such conditions as diabetes and high blood pressure. Uninsured patients are twice as likely to visit hospital emergency rooms as those with insurance; burdening a system meant for true emergencies with less-urgent care needs... The most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that 46.6 million Americans (about 15.9% of the total population) had no health insurance coverage during 2005. This constituted a rise of about 1.3 million from the previous year. Most uninsured Americans are working-class persons between the ages of 2 and 65 whose employers do not provide health insurance, and who earn too much money to qualify for one of the local or state insurance programs for the poor, but do not earn enough to cover the cost of enrollment in a health insurance plan designed for individuals. As health insurance rates rise and the population ages, those seeking to purchase health insurance directly are finding it increasingly difficult to do so, because some insurers are managing their risk by denying directly purchased coverage to individuals who have pre-existing conditions, some of them minor.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-07-16 12:09:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday JENN!	Happy Birthday Jenn! May I recommend a good DVD for your birthday viewing pleasure? Reservoir Dogs. There's a particularly moving scene at the end where Mr. Orange does a (slightly bloodied) tap-dancing routine whilst sending you birthday wishes in semaphore...	SteveLaura	Male	England	2008-06-27 10:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Emplyment Authorization?	EAD applied for in Oct. Still waiting for it and no luck, yet, in getting the interin EAD either - "Fill out this form and we'll get back to you." I have a job lined up already, just need the authorization. Believe me, it can be a hassle.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2006-02-13 12:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Emplyment Authorization?	the temporary one from POE is good for 90 days... I thought it became invalid once you were married..? I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2006-02-13 12:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	UK Police Certificate	One year.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2006-05-04 12:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	K1 Visa and EAD at the same time??	If you do decide to fly into JFK, don't go via Dublin. You will clear immigration there and will not receive the temp EAD at JFK.	SteveLaura	Male	England	2007-05-30 10:11:00