Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with usa

65,000 US visas gone in 4 days?!

everydayanewday — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:53:41 -0800

Husband and I are applying for jobs at the moment (our contracts expire around end of July). Interviews have gone well, but the guy I was talking to yesterday said he couldn't offer me a position as all the HB1 visas were gone for this year. Apparently they were all allocated within four days of being available! And there were 800,000 applicants for 65,000 places. When would I need to apply/what do I need to do do maximise my chances? Husband can also work on an O1B visa - is that the same process? Have any of you applied for these visas, and if so how did it go/what was your experience like? Does anyone have any tips? Would it be good to hire a lawyer for this or can we do it on our own? TIA for any info/advice.

Two plant growth oddities to ID (mold, fungus?) - Eastern Massachusetts

cocoagirl — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:15:24 -0800

I'm trying to identify two separate growths I'm unfamiliar with, just for curiosity's sake. The first is a tight, cauliflower-like dome found on the base of a cut tree trunk. The second formed tiny red "spears" on a weed leaf. Pics within. Growth #1 was dense and firm, like cauliflower, but from my rudimentary googling it's not Cauliflower Fungus (sparassis crispa), which looks much looser and ribbon-like.
Picture 1 shows a distant shot for scale (the two round white dots on the end of the bench)
Picture 2 is a close up

Growth #2 is a smattering of small red "spears" growing out of a leaf. The plant itself is about a foot high, growing street side. Not all leaves had the spears, just a couple.
Picture 1 shows the leaf for scale.
Picture 2 shows some of the red spears.
Picture 3 is a closeup of the spears
Picture 4 is a closeup of the underside of the spear locations

What's missing on our trip to San Francisco?

abbagoochie — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:44:13 -0800

I'm going to SF with my partner for our first wedding anniversary - yay! We've been before and have seen some of the sights (list after the break), but are looking for things we might have missed, awesome places we haven't eaten at, great things we haven't seen, etc, so we can make the most of it. Only limiting factor: neither of us drive. So, stuff we have both seen/done etc:

-Pier 39
-Coit Tower
-Musee Mechanique and Fisherman's Wharf
-Oakland Museum of California
-Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company
-The Clarion Alley Mural Project
-Dolores Park/Bi-Rite Creamery/Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream
-Walked around the Mission, ate burritos at Taquiera Cancun/Walked down the Valencia corridor
-The Exploratorium
-City Lights Bookstore
-Walked around the Castro
-Walked around the Haight
-Seen the Defenestration building
-Been in the SFMoMa
-Walked around Golden Gate Park

Stuff I'm thinking of for us:

-Visiting the Computer History Museum
-Going on an Alcatraz tour
-Maybe going in the Kabuki Hot Springs (will we be allowed in with tattoos?)
-Maybe taking a day trip out to Yosemite (is it worth it for three hours?)

Anything else I'm missing? I feel like there's more but I just don't know about it.

Extra info: We are both early thirties, able bodied and relatively fit, no kids. We have four days.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Crash course on election-related software and volunteers' use of it

joe vrrr — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:25:51 -0800

I'm creating a database and corresponding web-app to assist a progressive "hyper-local" political action committee. The system will cover get-out-the-vote efforts and volunteer tracking. I'm looking for real-world (non-technical) advice on GOTV and fundraising systems. Have you used one? What did you like/hate about it? I'm an experienced software developer and I've worked on large, secure, database-driven software applications. I'm very familiar with using large public data sets. I'm not looking for specific technical advice.

I'm looking for real-world advice on GOTV and fundraising systems. Everyone in town keeps mentioning the Obama 2012 system, though I didn't personally use it.

A bit of background:

• Small numbers. A "very successful" voter turnout in our community is less than 10K.
• The PAC is non-partisan, though it's really just a bunch of progressive, smart-growth types.
• This is a small community.
• While many of the PAC volunteers are familiar with the 2012 Obama campaign system, they've never done anything like this locally. The last local election was handled via legal pads and a wall map.
• I have voter records for the last few elections, but that's about all the info I have so far.
• Get Out The Vote tracking is more important than fundraising in our municipality.
• Communication with voters here has traditionally been door-to-door or via statements in the newspaper, we need to move beyond that.
• I'm a volunteer, but I've got tons of time to throw at this project.
• Due to the non-partisan nature of this particular election, I don't think the PAC would be able to acquire resources or data from the local Democrats.

What about these systems did you like, and what was a waste of time? How did they work for you behind the scenes at the campaign management level? Or in the field? Have you read a great review or summary of these systems and their use? Got a link to something that really summed up your experience with these systems?

Investing while in the US on a fixed term contract

caek — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:28:52 -0800

I know I should be talking to an financial planner/adviser about this, and I will do, but... I am British. I'm going to be living and working in the U.S. for somewhere between one and three years. I will probably return to the UK afterwards, but there is a chance I will stay in the U.S. forever. I would rate that chance at about 50/50. I would like to save a fraction of my income while in the U.S., and I would like those savings to grow. I would like to retain at least the possibility of suddenly withdrawing them if and when I leave the U.S. I understand there will be fees and taxes involved in such a withdrawal, but I would of course like to minimize them. And I would like to balance this possibility against the possibility that I will be staying forever, and should make a start on saving for retirement. My salary will be mid-five figures. Over three years I will probably be able to save around $10,000, so this is not a huge amount of money, but it's enough money to matter to me! As far as I can tell, my options are:

Make voluntary contributions to the 401(k) offered by my employer.

Invest post-tax income in a Roth IRA

Invest post-tax income in a regular investment account, e.g. a cash savings account (do these have a name?) or just a regular purchase of a Vanguard-type index tracker (I can do that, right? I don't have to invest via an IRA or 401(k), right? What should I be Googling for this option?)

Presumably, if I knew I were staying in the U.S., this is easy: the 401(k) is the best option. But am I right in thinking that, if I leave the U.S., with these options:

I can withdraw the entire 401(k) immediately, but I will have to pay income tax on the entire amount of the withdrawal + a 10% penalty

I can withdraw the Roth IRA after a waiting ("seasoning"?) period of five years after the last contribution. I don't pay income tax on the principal, but I pay income tax on the growth, and I have to pay the 10% penalty.
I can withdraw the regular savings/investments whenever I like. There are no penalties. Presumably I will pay income tax on the growth ("capital gains"?) at some point (annually, or at withdrawal?)

Have I got that right? And if so, how do I choose between these options? It seems like over a three year term the Roth IRA and and the 401(k) will work out about the same because the difference between compounding pre- and post-tax principal over such a short time will be small. But the 401(k) is easier/quicker to withdraw when my employment ends? Does the private, non-tax-sheltered savings/investment account even exist? Presumably that's the simplest of all?

(My employer will make contributions to a 401(k) after my second anniversary of employment (i.e. for the last year), but, unless I'm totally misreading the papework, the existence/size of those contributions in independent of the size of mine, so their contributions are not relevant. For the purposes of this decision, it's just free money that I can't do anything about.)

Do Free File confirmation e-mails contain sensitive information?

millions — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:10:03 -0800

Do the confirmation e-mails for e-filing federal tax returns with Free File Fillable Forms contain sensitive information? I just filed my taxes with the Free File Fillable Forms website, but I used the wrong e-mail: basically, without thinking I used an address that was a mix of my work e-mail and my personal e-mail. Unfortunately, it is an existing e-mail, so a stranger has access to whatever is contained in that e-mail.

Now I'm freaking out a bit. I'm worried that I the Free File website might have sent out information that someone might use to access my tax information or, indirectly, even steal my identity. I wouldn't guess that a confirmation e-mail would contain sensitive information, but you never know. If anyone used free fillable forms to file their return, describing what the confirmation e-mail contains (or even a print-screen image if there's nothing sensitive to hide) would be a huge help.

an AskMe named Desire

threeants — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:25:35 -0800

I'd like to read about the extensive streetcar networks that serviced most US cities in the late 19th / early 20th century. Any recommendations? This could be nonfiction expressly about US streetcars. This could also be well-researched fiction, or nonfiction ostensibly on a separate topic, that relates what it was like to have the streetcars as part of the urban fabric or of one's life. I'm not looking for writings that are chiefly about the demise of the streetcar and the shift into automobile predominance, though if that's just one part of a text that otherwise satisfies what I'm looking for, go for it.

Thanks in advance!

Help me live in my own country (USA) with my Canadian wife! AAAH!

Jim On Light — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:02:19 -0800

I came to Canada on a visa (NAFTA treaty visa, technical writer) and I met the love of my life and married her. I'm the breadwinner in Canada, and I have been since shortly after we moved in together. How on EARTH do I move her home with me??? I'm a US Citizen, on a visa in Canada, and I met the love of my life. We've lived together for now almost a year. I quit the visa gig and I'm coming back home to the US. It is really, really unclear as to the process, and it seems like the right route is to get a lawyer. WTF - does anyone who has to deal with the government anymore have to go to a lawyer?

I'm going to be the one working (I do just fine for us), and I am the one who will be providing for both of us. I will be the one paying rent and taking care of both of us. My wife has been living with me now for 8 months, we've been seeing each other for a month before that, and I have always been the breadwinner here in Canada for us.

What's the right answer here? Since I'm doing the money making, it doesn't seem like I need to file for Form I-130, and it doesn't really seem that I need to file for a green card for her, I'm the one who's working.

What have any of you awesome MeFi'ers done successfully? Who do I call? What do I do?

I really appreciate the help. If I've overlooked something, please let me know.

Please recommend interesting/funny/awesome TV series to a bored shut-in

abbagoochie — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:19:15 -0800

I've finished watching all my favourite things and am televisually lost while I wait for Breaking Bad and Boardwalk Empire to start again. Can you suggest English/American/Australian etc series (will also accept interesting BBC documentaries) that are actually watchable? I am kind of half heartedly watching Archer at the mo, and just winced through the pilot episode of How I Met Your Mother. I tried the pilot of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia but the intro sequence seemed too close to bad improv. Help me root out the stuff worth eyeball time! As a guide, things I like/d (apart from the aforementioned BB and BE):

- Pulling (UK)
- Catterick (UK)
- Human Remains/Nighty Night/the pilot of Lizzie and Sarah (UK)
- Twin Peaks
- Downton Abbey
- Girls
- Dexter
- Wilfred
- Eastbound and Down
- Futurama

I know there must be a ton of stuff I'm missing. Please help me to make it through this awful stomach bug that won't seem to go away!

Can I travel from Canada to USA on a Portuguese passport?

MiG — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:48:53 -0800

I'm a dual Portuguese - Canadian citizen, living and working in Canada. Can I travel to the USA for a business trip on a Portuguese passport? My Canadian passport expires next month, and I've sent it off to be renewed. I've asked to travel to the USA for a couple of days next month. I don't think I will receive the renewed Canadian passport in time for this trip.

I have a valid Portuguese passport as well. Can I just use this to fly to the USA and back to Canada?

free-wheeling cross country trip on a budget.

empath — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 03:53:37 -0800

I want to spend two or three weeks driving across country this summer, then probably fly back to the east coast. I have a decent amount of money, but I'd like to spend as little money as possible on travel costs and accomodations (so I can spend money on activities and siteseeing) I'd rather not use my own car, since it's not in the best shape.

What's the cheapest way to rent a compact car for this and how much would that cost? How much cheaper (if it is cheaper) would it be to take buses or trains?

How about accommodations for two? Roughing it is not a problem -- are hostels as cheap and easy to check into at the least minute in the US as they are in other places? I'd like to plan ahead as little as possible. Just skimming around, it seems like motels would be cheaper and probably nicer. What about camping (I have 0 experience camping)? What about AirB&B or couchsurfing? I have a couchsurfing account and have never used it -- has anybody her done a a cross country trip using either of those sites? How was it?

Would you recommend the lonely planet or rough guide books or something else for a trip like this?

Help identifying two Southern CA trees?

cocoagirl — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:19:53 -0800

These two trees are in my friend's new Los Angeles backyard. Any idea what they are? There's only one picture of Tree #2, and I can't remember if the needles were flat or square, so that one may be a long-shot.

Where to go on a weekend getaway from Orlando

thenormshow — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:42:11 -0800

My wife and I (early 30's) are visiting my parents in Orlando for a week in mid-March. They have kindly offered to babysit our 2-year-old for a couple of nights. We will have a car and 2 nights to go somewhere. Where should we go? Things we've thought about so far: The Keys sound cool, but it's too much of a drive. The snorkeling and small town beach kitch are really appealing. We're not really shopping and dancing people, but Miami might be interesting. We've looked into a flight to Nassau, Bahamas but we're having trouble figuring out what it's like. We travel a lot, and aren't afraid to explore. If the border controls weren't such a pain, we'd go to Havana. (We know there are flights there via Nassau, but we're anxious about having trouble getting back into the U.S. with a toddler waiting for us.)

We have a budget of about $1000. We're open to a flight, but only short, direct ones.

Thanks!

Educate me on these crime statistics

vidur — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:36:45 -0800

The Wikipedia page on statistics about rape shows a very high crime rate for countries like UK, US and Australia in stark contrast to, say, India. The gap can't be explained simply by under-reporting, as that exists in all these countries (even assuming different rates of under-reporting). Is it because these countries have different definitions of rape? Or something else? I want to understand this because in my personal experience, India is far less safe for women than, say, UK and Australia (haven't been to the US yet), but these numbers are so far from what I would have expected that I am having a hard time explaining them to myself. The whole thing has been prompted by the recent high-profile cases of rape in India, and the ensuing discussions about them in my social circle.

What are some specifically American foods (less perishable is better)?

mccn — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:48:22 -0800

I have a Hungarian friend with whom I exchange a large gift box every year at Christmas. She's moving to Australia to study this March, and so I want to send her a little extra care package when she moves, as I know it will be a hard relocation. In the past, I've sent her mostly non-edible goods (except for coconut M&Ms, which she loves, and Tabasco, sambal olec and Sriracha, as she hadn't tried them and we both love spicy foods). She has sent me a wealth of specifically Hungarian treats, including Erős Pista (a Hungarian spicy paste), poppy and nut cakes, Hungarian chocolates and jams, and even lozenges. I'd love to send her some typically American treats in my next box, but I can't think of what they might be! Thanks!
I live in NYC, so I have access to a huge variety of foodstuffs - rarity shouldn't be a big problem, unless you're talking something like Voodoo Donuts, which can't be shipped. Fruits and veg are also probably not wise, but I think breads and cakes and the like should be OK.

One of these citizenships is not like the other...

Madamina — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:13:37 -0800

My friend, a dual Canadian/American citizen living in the UK, is discussing the terms of a trust with her (US) father. By the time she inherits, she may have given up US citizenship. Does this need to be mentioned so they can account for it now? Added info, from her:
--I'm pretty sure the letter I get every year says that it's an irrevocable trust, so I'm not sure the trust can be rewritten.
--Dr. Internet is being unhelpful to me: it's telling me a lot about what happens if a non-US citizen spouse inherits, but children have different legal standing.
--I would keep Canadian citizenship.
--If me being a non-US citizen would be a huge PITA, then I'd much prefer he just rewrite the trust so it all goes to my sister.

Thanks (on behalf of both of us)!

Who are the most famous Americans I haven't heard of?

ocherdraco — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:10:32 -0800

Who are the most famous Americans I probably don't know about because their fame is primarily within non-English speaking communities? Jenni Rivera's death is a huge news story, but I had never heard of her before. Likewise, when I flip through channels on my TV here in New York, I see people on shows produced here in the US who are obviously celebrities, but I know nothing about them because they're famous to Korean speaking Americans, or Mandarin speaking Americans, or Russian speaking Americans.

Who are the most famous Americans in non-anglophone culture? I am specifically talking about people who primarily live, work, and are famous in the United States, not Americans who have found fame in a non-anglophone culture abroad.

Sitcom about a former hero and former villain living in suburbia together

Greg Nog — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 08:38:00 -0800

Okay, so there was this show (maybe on the USA network?) around 1990-ish, maybe. The premise was that a former superspy/secret-agent/hero had retired to the suburbs, and his former archnemesis moves into the house next door. They're still kind of enemies, but in a Simpsons/Flanders "friendly" way, instead of trying to kill each other like they used to. What is this show? The only scene I remember is one where the former villain is mad at the former hero because he's able to pour beer into glasses so nicely, without excess head. And the hero says, "It's simple: tilt the glass." (this is where I first learned how to pour a beer, btw).

It was a comedy, but no laugh track, I don't think. Just a sorta goodnatured cheerful vibe. And it was multi-camera with occasional outside stuff, like Malcolm In The Middle.

Okay, that's all I got. Google keeps giving me results for G vs E, and that ain't it.

Where to buy tablet for China?

It's Never Lurgi — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:16:06 -0800

Using a tablet in China. Buy here or buy there? We want our family in China to have a tablet PC (mostly for doing video Skype with us). The options are buy here or buy there.

My assumption is that the systems you get in China will be tailored for a Chinese market (which is good), with language and app store location and wall charger and everything else working automatically. What about price? I know you can get cheap Chinese tablets, but the quality is so-so.

Buying here means we can get a Google Nexus 7" (banned from Chinese stores, it appears). Good idea? Meh idea? Terrible idea?

Holy C**P, a 65 Marlin!

Mitheral — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 19:20:56 -0800

Have you imported a 16+ year old vehicle from the US to Canada (BC)? What was the experience like and roughly how much did it end up costing? I'm considering flying down to Arizona; buying a vehicle; and then driving it home for either use or resale. I'd be buying something older than the 15 year cut off for exemption from meeting MVSS standards.

It looks like I should be able to:

Buy road worthy car after confirming clean clear title
Email the US border crossing I intend to cross into Canada making sure to attach a copy of the title.
Drive to the US Border crossing arriving no sooner than 72 hours after email.
Have the US Border agents stamp the title.
Proceed to Canadian border crossing where I'll present the stamped title, bill of sale, and a certificate of insurance.
Fill out Form 1 and pay fee (How much?)
Pay GST, BC PST, and RIV Fee.
Wait for form 2 to arive and then take that to RIV inspection centre.
Have BC Safety inspection performed
Take forms 1, 2, and safety inspection to ICBC. Pay registeration and licencing fees. Drive Car.

Is there a big gotcha lurking to cost me thousands of dollars and days of time?

Bonus Question: Where do I get a certificate of insurance for a car that hasn't been safety inspected in BC? Is it just a regular multi day permit? Or is it something I can buy in Arizona?

Trilogy set in Britain, Scandinavia and America

Wordshore — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:21:58 -0800

I read a fiction trilogy in the 1990s. The first book was set in Britain (or England), the second in a Scandinavian country (Norway or Sweden), and the third in the USA. What was the trilogy? The overall story arc was "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl are reunited", with a fair amount of crime and social disorder along the way. I think the writing alternated between a normal narrative and some kind of transcendental text. The trilogy was obscure, which is possibly why it's difficult to track down. Recollection is that the author was probably male, and possibly American. Unsure about what time period it is set in; near-contemporary, I think.

Sorry about how vague and hazy this is; it's been driving me nuts for a while. I've done various searches which have all drawn a blank and am too embarrassed to post on usual librarian lists/forum.

Can I come to the USA on a tourist visa?

YukoInNature — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:49:25 -0800

Would I be able to come visit the USA in the future? I'm a Japanese citizen. I've lived in the USA since March 2011 on a CR1 visa as a conditional permanent resident. The residency expires in March 2013.

I'm planning on returning to Japan to live there in January 2013.

Would there be any problem getting a tourist visa for visiting the US in the future? I don't know when but I might want to come visit some friends or places for a short time.

Thank you for your answers in advance.

US bank recommendation for Canadians recently moved to the Bay Area?

Chaotic Bedlam — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:46:33 -0800

US bank recommendation for Canadians recently moved to the Bay Area? My wife and I recently moved from Canada to the SF bay area (south bay) and are looking for a US bank or credit union. We would like to open a joint checking account, credit card, perhaps money market account etc.

I have a checking account and VISA with RBC Bank US (affiliated with the Royal Bank of Canada) - however this cannot be converted to a joint account without a trip to Canada, hence the impetus to find a new bank.

Some relevant details:

- I have an SSN, my wife does not (she is not eligible to work in the US currently).

- Ideally we would like to find a bank that will leverage our existing strong Canadian credit history, but we understand this may be difficult to find.

- We live close to a Wells Fargo and a KeyPoint Credit Union, if either of these are particularly good...

Explain to me the operation of US criminal law.

modernnomad — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:01:16 -0800

Can you give me examples of varying criminal laws across the different states that comprise the USA? Can the federal government ensure consistency? In Canada, where I am legally trained, the criminal laws are implemented federally through the Criminal Code. My understanding of the American system is that each state has its own criminal law, though many may make reference to the Model Penal Code. In practice, are there significant differences in the criminal laws between states? Can you give me examples? This question was spurred by reading about the state-level efforts to 'decriminalize' marijuana usage in the recent election. This is fascinating to me since in Canada, no such variance could occur at the provincial level. What response -- if any -- could the US federal government bring against a state that had a criminal code completely out of step with the rest of the country? Feel free to get into any and all constitutional law nerdery in your answers.

Candidate positions, distilled?

killdevil — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:22:36 -0800

Help me be an informed voter in my local (U.S.) Senate and Congressional races tomorrow! I'd like to key in my ZIP code and get a concise, impartial overview of the platform and positions of all the candidates on the ballot. Direct me to site(s) that may serve, Metafilter.