10 Good Money Habits to Make Your Friends Jealous

10 Good Money Habits to Make Your Friends Jealous 10 Good Money Habits to Make Your Friends Jealous 10 Good Money Habits to Make Your Friends JealousThere are better reasons to save money than wanting to make your friends turn green with jealousy. But as motivating factors go, this one aint half bad.We love our friends. After all, if we didn’t love them, they’d be our enemies. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t also love making them a little bit jealous of the fabulous life we’re leading. This is probably why someone invented the term “frenemies.”Then again, there are tons of folks out there who would enjoy making their friends (or frenemies) jealous but are unfortunately stuck on the other side of that fence. You know, the one where the grass is definitely not greener.That’s why we’re here. Forget trying to keep up with the Joneses; just follow these 10 pieces of financial advice and everyone else will be trying to keep up with you.1. Pay yourself first.Raise your hand if this is your approach to saving money: You take care of all your bills and living expenses and then you sock away anything you have left over. Are you raising your hand? We can’t see you, obviously, but we’re going to assume that you are.Paying yourself first means turning this whole arrangement on its head. Instead of saving what’s left over, put money into savings first and then spend the rest. You probably think that’s nuts, that your budget is much too tight to prioritize saving money.And you know what? We get it. But if you give this method a try, we think you’ll be surprised how flexible your budget can be. When you focus on paying yourself first, the rest of your budget will pretty much fall into place.While your friends are scrambling to save up money for a vacation or to put away for a rainy day, you’ll be sitting on a sizeable nest egg. Try it!2. Automate your saving.Starting a new savings practice can be like starting a new exercise routine: The hardest part is instilling the disciple to just go out and do the dang thing. But what if you could outso urce that part of your exercise routine, like a fitness tracker that would actually get you out of bed and to the gym at 6 am every day? Wouldn’t that be so much easier?Well with saving money, this is something you can actually do! Let the robots be disciplined on your behalf through automatic deductions and transfers. As soon as your paycheck hits your account, money will be moved over to your savings account. Out of sight, out of mind. Your friends will wonder how you do it.3. Set big goals.Practicing good financial habits is rewarding, but it can also be pretty tedious at times. But you can both alleviate some of that tedium and achieve even bigger things by setting big, ambitious goals.You want to build up $1,000 in savings? Great. But what about $10,000 in savings? Working towards a bigger goal will help you focus your mind, step up your efforts, and get creative with your money. The bigger your goals, the more you’ll do to achieve them.Of course, there’s a flipside to th is. Don’t set goals that are so ambitious that you have no hope of achieving them. Dream big, but dream realistically.Saving is hard enough, and its much harder when you dont know what you’re saving for. Whether it’s an emergency fund, your retirement, your kid’s education, a big vacation, or a new car, these goals will help you stay on track.Oh, and speaking of emergency funds4. Start an emergency fund.What’s an emergency fund? It’s really just another word for savings, but it’s money that’s being saved with a specific purpose in mind. Unlike money that you put into retirement accountsâ€"which you aren’t planning on touching until decades from nowâ€"or money that you’re putting towards a major new purchase, your emergency fund is for, well, emergencies.With your emergency fund, you’re not worried about that money earning interest or being locked away where you can’t touch it. Being able to access those funds in a time of crisis is the whole idea! You might e ven want to maintain your emergency fund in cash.So what’s the best amount to keep in your emergency fund? Well, we recommend that you start with $1,000. But after that, you shouldn’t rest on your laurels. The ideal amount to have in your emergency fund is enough to cover six whole months worth of living expenses.That may sound like a lot, but it could be a literal lifesaver. It’s hard to watch someone who loses a job or suffers an injury and has their finances spiral out of control. With a well-stocked emergency fund, you’ll be prepared for the worst.5. Eliminate your debt.The odds are good that both you and your friends have more debt than you want to admit. Whether it’s credit card debt, student debt, or mortgage debt, all that money you’re putting towards interest every month is money that could be much better spent working for you.So if you really want to make your friends jealous, make paying down debt your number one priority. Start with consumer debt (also known as “bad” debt), like credit cards and personal loans. These usually come with much higher interest rates, and they make zero contributions to your total net worth.In order to get out of debt, you’ll need a plan of action. We recommend either the Debt Snowball or the Debt Avalanche. In short, these methods involve putting all your extra debt repayment funds towards one debt at a time. And when you pay off that first debt, you then roll over its minimum payment towards the next debt down the line.Heres the difference: With the Debt Snowball, you pay off your smallest debt first; with the Debt Avalanche, you pay off your debt with the highest interest rate.Debt can be a massive burden, tying you down to a job or a city that you would rather get out ofâ€"you just can’t afford to. Escaping from under that burden will give you the freedom to do things you always dreamed of. If that won’t make your friends jealous, we don’t know what will.6. Live below your means.This one might seem a little bit obvious, but there’s still a good chance that you’re not doing it. If you want to save more money, than living below your means is a must. If every dollar you make each month is only going towards bills and other living expenses, then you’re never getting ahead. When it comes to money, you’re only ever treading water.Basically, living below your means involves living as though you make less money than you do. If your total post-tax income every month is $4,000 for example, then rearrange your lifestyle so that you’re only spending a total of $3,000 on everything.That extra $1,000 can then be put towards your emergency fund, your retirement accounts, or any big purchase you’re saving up for. Living like you make less money now means that you’ll have more money to live on down the line. While your friends are treading water, you’ll be roaring by them on a custom jet ski.7. Check your credit report.Keeping an eye on your credit score is always a good idea, but this means going one step further. By regularly checking your credit reports, you’ll understand all the areas where you need to improve your credit and you’ll be able to keep an eye out for identity theft.Your credit reports are documents that track your past seven years as a borrower and credit consumer. (Some information, like bankruptcies, stays on your report for a bit longer.) You actually have three credit reports, each compiled from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.By law, each of the credit bureaus is required to provide you with one free copy of your report annually upon request. If you order one report every four months, you will be able to pretty consistently track your credit historyâ€"all without paying a dime!Credit reports can also contain errors, which might be artificially deflating your score. To request a free copy of your credit report, just visit AnnualCreditReport.com. If you need to dispute an error on your report , you can follow the instructions in our blog post, How Do You Contest Errors On Your Credit Report?8. Get a side hustle.Saving more money isn’t just a matter of cutting down on your expenses. You can also boost your savings by earning extra income! You could do that by getting a better paying job or asking your boss for a promotion (and a raise), but picking up a side hustle is probably faster.There are tons of ways you can go about this. For instance, you could start driving for a rideshare service or work for any other number of “Uber but for X” companies. You could also pick up a second job or start your own entrepreneurial venture.Whatever you do, just make sure that you aren’t burning yourself out or letting all that extra income turn into extra spending. Oh, and really do that math on your expenses to make sure that the money you’re earning is worth the extra stress.While a second job might not make your friends jealous in the short-term, all the great things you’ ll be able to do later on with that extra money sure will.9. Steer clear of payday loans.This is another great reason to build up an emergency fund. When you have an unexpected bill or a financial gap that needs to be plugged, turning to  payday loans is the last thing you should be doing. With their high interest rates and lump-sum repayments, they might just make your bad financial situation even worse.The same holds true for other types of short-term no credit check loans like cash advances and title loans, which can come with APR’s upwards of 300 and 400 percent. Plus, you’ll have to pay the loan back all at once, which can create yet another shortfall. This is how people end taking out loan after loan after loan and becoming trapped in a predatory cycle of debt.When life knocks you on your butt, building up your savings means having a financial cushion to soften the landing. And while you could always turn to a longer-term bad credit loan (like an installment loan) to bridg e your financial gaps, the best solution here means skipping loans altogether.10. Responsibly maximize your credit card rewards.If you want to travel more or be able to splurge on holiday spending, then credit card rewards are a great way to make that financially feasible. You’ll need a good credit score to  do so, but racking up points and miles can help you live a little bit larger than you otherwise would.Here’s the thing: Credit card rewards can be great, but you absolutely cannot let them encourage you into overspending. Having to pay interest on excess credit card debt will pretty much wipe out all the good that rewards points can do. It’ll actually make them … pointless.To get the most from your rewards, consider consolidating all your credit card transactions onto one or two cards. And if you really want to be responsible, you should look into transferring all cash-back rewards directly to your retirement accounts. It’ll be less fun, but your future self will thank you for thinking ahead.We actually wrote a whole blog post on this subject recently, so we suggest you check that out. In the meantime, making your friends jealous probably isn’t the best reason to get your financial house in order, but if it works for you, then we wish you the best of luck.To learn more about saving money, check out these related posts from OppLoans:7 Tips for Eating Out on the CheapHow to Save Money When You’re Already on a Tight BudgetThe (Comprehensive) Couple’s Guide To Budgeting8 Ways To Save Money Today, Tomorrow and Every Day AfterWhat are your best strategies for saving money? We want to hear from you! You can find us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter.

The Gender Gap in Education - 2663 Words

Discuss the concept of ‘the gender gap’ and its adequacy in representing gendered differences in school level attainment. The gender gap is â€Å"the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women† (Oxford dictionary, 2012) which still exists in the ever equalizing world in which we live in today. The gender gap appears in several areas in society such as in politics, employment and education although gender inequalities have the biggest impact on education policies (Marsh, 2009). Though in the anti-sexist or girl centered approach has the education of the boys been neglected. It can be seen that these sexist scars are the attitudes from the past where men would make the money to support the family and women†¦show more content†¦Fathers will push their sons to be more ‘laddish’ and to focus on sports and outdoor activities and mothers to inspire arts and crafts and reading. Indeed from these activities a different mindset evolves which is then taken into the classroom and takes effect in further education asâ€Å"a depressing 40 per cent of boys will begin secondary school unable to write fluently and correctly, compared with 25 per cent of girls† (Robinson, 2009) . The 1988 Education Reform Act helped to create a broad national curriculum which balanced the subject choices of boys and girls in order to progress in making education more equal. As languages had been a preferred subject choice for girls and science for boys now both genders had to participate in both and had equal opportunities for success and access. English, maths and science were all made compulsory until 16 years of age, the time of GCSEs. This way it was expected boys would have matured and would have a more equal representation in their results as well as broadening the subject knowledge to boys and girls. The fact that girls perform better than boys is statistically proven. In 2006 at GCSE level â€Å"exam results for both sexes had continued to improve, yet boys success rates had only this year reached that of girls in 1999† (Smithers, 2006). According to Miller (n.d) the educational gender gap in Britain in bigger than any other developed country especiallyShow MoreRelatedGender Gap In Pay1574 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Gender Pay Gap also referred to as Gender wage gap, gender income difference or male-female income difference refers to the difference between the earning of men and women (Victoria, 2006). The European Union defines the Gender Pay gap as the difference between men and women’s hourly earnings (OECD, 2012). The difference may be measured on hourly, weekly, monthly, or yearly earning. The difference is expressed as a percentage of the men’s earning. However, the difference varies fromRead MoreGender Inequality1645 Words   |  7 PagesGender inequality is currently a hot topic in our society. From education, to the entertainment industry, and more importantly, to our daily lives, gender inequality has created a powerful divide between females and males. The same trend follows in the workplace, where females are less likely to hold positions of authority compared to their male counterparts, which is a key contributor to the workplace gender inequality all across the Unite d States. There are a lot of common misconceptions aboutRead MoreWorkplace Gender Inequality Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesWorkplace Gender Inequality Gender inequality is currently a hot topic in our society. From education, to the entertainment industry, and more importantly, our daily lives, gender inequality has created a powerful divide between females and males with the seemingly same qualifications and background. The same trend follows in the workplace, females are less likely to hold positions of authority compared to their equivalent male counterparts. This is a key contributor to the lack of gender equalityRead MoreGender And Gender Pay Gap1173 Words   |  5 Pages Gender pay gaps have been a hot topic over the last several years. In my findings, I found three articles that stood out the most to me, as well as some statistical information. Gender pay gap is an interesting subject because it happens all across the United States, as well as in other countries worldwide. This pay gap can affect women of all ages, race, religion and educational levels. What is gender pay gap? The gender pay gap is defined as the difference between women and men’s full time averageRead MoreGender Inequality Of The Work Force1305 Words   |  6 Pagesconstantly dealt with various forms of discrimination; whether it is religion, race, gender or other factors that make individuals different from one another, discrimination occurs every day. Inequality in the work force is a type of discrimination that is prevalent globally. Females, who are as equally educated, trained and experienced as their male colleagues, are not receiving equal pay — resulting in a gender wage gap. According to a study conducted by Christianne Corbett, M.A. and Catherine HillRead MoreGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality1740 Words   |  7 PagesThe gender wage gap is defined as the relative difference in earnings between men and women in the economy as a whole. For every dollar a man makes, his female counterpart makes roughly seventy-seven cents. Even if a men a nd women have the same educational background and work history the man will go home with a higher paycheck than the woman. This may actually lead to tension in the workplace and cause conflict in the office. This also includes female dominated industries- most notably, nursingRead MoreGender Inequality And Gender Equality Essay1540 Words   |  7 Pagesmyth about gender equality. It isn t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only seventy-seven percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change† stated Grammy Award winner, Beyoncà © (Knowles-Carter 34). Although in the twenty-first century, women are still fighting for equality to simply be paid the same amount as men. The main causes of this gender inequalityRead MoreThe Issue Of Workplace Inequality1255 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many origins to the issue of workplace inequality. Ac ross the world, women are getting paid less and less. The gender wage gap now stands at an average of 22 cents between genders. It is common knowledge that women were often not allowed to work in the past, and if they did they didn’t have the best jobs. With women increasing their education and work experience, it shouldn’t still be an issue. On average, a woman who goes to the same college, gets the same job, and has the same amountRead MoreGender Equality And Gender Inequality979 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout the past few decades, the gender inequality discourse have became a dominant feature of international, national and local policy debate on the subject of economic development. This policy concern has emerged as an area of scholarly research which seeks to show that improving gender equity leads to economic growth. Gender Inequality in Australia: According to the data published by Australian Bureau of Statistics in May 2015, the full time average earnings of women is $284.20 or 17.9%Read MoreThe Fight For Gender Equality1282 Words   |  6 PagesThe fight for gender equality in the workplace has been ongoing for fifty years. Women have been looked to as inferior in the workplace in the United States for the better part of a decade. While they have made tremendous strides in getting equalization, ladies are still cheated out of the money that men are receiving for the same career. The gender wage gap is real and it grows over worker’s careers. Though it used to be a gap because of education between the genders, the education gap has been switched

Formula Booklet Physics 11th - 9695 Words

Call 1600-111-533 (toll-free) for info. Formula Booklet – Physics XI Dear students Most students tend to take it easy after the board examinations of Class X. The summer vacations immediately after Class X are a great opportunity for the students to race ahead of other students in the competitive world of IITJEE, where less than 2% students get selected every year for the prestigious institutes. Some students get governed completely by the emphasis laid by the teachers of the school in which they are studying. Since, the objective of the teachers in the schools rarely is to equip the student with the techniques reqired to crack IITJEE, most of the students tend to take it easy in Class XI. Class XI does not even have the pressure of†¦show more content†¦Ph: 55270275, 55278916 E-16/289, Sector 8, Rohini, Delhi – 85, Ph: 55395439, 30911585 4 Call 1600-111-533 (toll-free) for info. (1) Formula Booklet – Physics XI (a) (b) (c) F12 = − F12 m F = F21 M+m F Acceleration: a = M+m → → M (2) m F21 Fig. 1 F FR 2 = ; m I = mG g GM → → Contact force: F12 = F12 F (xvi) Inertial mass: mI = F/a (xvii) Gravitational mass: mG = → (xviii) Non inertial frame: If a 0 be the acceleration of frame, then pseudo force F = − m a 0 Example:Show MoreRelatedLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages. . . . . . . . 441 The Budgeting Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Budgeting Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 Line-Item Budgeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 Formula Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447 Program Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 Performance Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 Planning, Programming, and BudgetingRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesa specific dog and saying, This is what I mean. A definition by pointing is an ostensive definition. Ostensive definitions are a kind of definition by example. If I define physical science as something like geology, chemistry, astronomy, or physics, I am giving a definition by example. Dictionaries cannot use ostensive definitions, but occasionally they do use definitions by example. A dictionary definition is called a lexical definition because dictionaries are called lexicons. Here is anRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagessuccessful in business, or in life. Many of these books have made it to the best-seller lists and have enjoyed lengthy stays. Our intention in this book is not to try to duplicate the popular appeal of the best-selling books nor to utilize the common formula of recounting anecdotal incidents of successful organizations and well-known managers. We have produced a book that remains true to, and is based on, social science and business research. We want to share with you what is known and what is not known

Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder Free Essays

McNulty, J. , Neff, L. , Karney, B. We will write a custom essay sample on Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder or any similar topic only for you Order Now (2008). Journal of Family Psychology. Beyond Initial Attraction: Physical Attractiveness in Newlywed Marriage, 22(1), 135-143. â€Å"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder†. A famous statement that normally holds true. However, how long will this beauty last in the beholder’s eye? Will physical appearance affect a relationship over time as the relationship deepens and develops? A study was conducted by James K. McNulty, Lisa A. Neff, and Benjamin R. Karney attempting to answer how physical appearances continue to affect established relationship. The study was published in the â€Å"Journal of Family Psychology† in 2008 titled Beyond Initial Attraction: Physical Attractiveness in Newlywed Marriage. The primary reason for the study was to expand on prior studies of physical attractiveness which suggested that physical attractiveness should be connected with more positive outcomes in marriage. Apparently, many studies of physical attractiveness came about to support or over- throw two poets recognition on the period of physical attractiveness. Poet John Keats believes that the benefits of beauty are everlasting while poet G. B. Shaw believes that beauty is destined to fade over time. Different theories were also taken into consideration. Equity and similarity theories predict that attractiveness should be connected with greater levels of satisfaction and vice versa. Evolutionary perspectives and normative resource theories suggest that the gender of the more attractive partner should play an important role in determining the effects of different attractiveness. The author had cited clear review of literature and the problem was clearly visible to the average reader why the researchers felt this study needed to be done. With that said, this research tested hypothesis about whether physical attractiveness continues to influence relationships after marriage or fade with time and experience. The focus of the study was to obtain observer ratings of physical attractiveness, observer ratings of behavior, and self reports of satisfaction from a sample of recently married couples. Relative levels of attractiveness were then analyzed in order to understand the impact of each spouse’s attractiveness on how they compare with one another. Only newlyweds were selected for this particular study. The couples had to be recently married, were relatively around the same age, and were selected within the first 6 months of both partner’s first marriage. The selected 82 eligible couples went through a formal laboratory session and questionnaires before any experiments were conducted. To conduct the ratings of physical attractiveness, the researchers had to use the Quality Marriage Index, a six-item scale asking spouses to rate general statements about their marriage. Higher scores would reflect greater satisfaction with the relationship. To conduct ratings of behavior, trained raters had coded videotaped discussions of support topics based on The Social Support Interaction Coding System. Every behavior such as speaking, turning, and gestures were recorded and analyzed. To conduct self reports of satisfaction, researchers rated the facial attractiveness of each spouse from the recorded videotapes. From a scale from 1 to 10, higher ratings indicated more attractive faces. The results of the study reflected the researchers’ expectations in newlyweds. According to the tables and data, both husbands and wives had relatively high level of marital satisfaction, there were more positive behaviors during their social support interactions, and their facial attractiveness were at the attractiveness scale. Further analyses were conducted on levels of physical attractiveness connected with outcomes of established relationships. Regression models were drawn separately for husbands and wives and the results indicated that the absolute levels of attractiveness were associated with both satisfaction and behavior. Surprisingly, findings shows that more attractive husbands tended to behave more negatively in an established relationship but neither the husbands’ nor wives’ supportive behavior was related with their partners’ attractiveness. Results indicate that relative attractiveness was a better predictor of behavior; thus, the analyses were consistent with the predictions derived from evolutionary and normative recourse theories. Both husband and wives behave more positively when the wives are more attractive than the husband, but more negatively when the husbands were more attractive than wives. It is believed that physical attractiveness is less important to the wives; thus, attractiveness may only affect them through the effect on husbands. The current study is consistent with Poet John Keats’ view where the attractiveness that brings people together will continue to influence relationships even after marriage. However, the way physical appearances affects the relationship seems to change over time. The recommendations for the current study were to a call for additional research in the area. It is suggested to use larger samples with varying attractiveness. More variables in other indicators of attractiveness are definitely recommended as well. This was a very in-depth research project. For the most part it was well written and well organized. The methods use to gather the data for the study was clearly explained. The instruments and development were explained and all possible tests were given. The findings were well organized, sectioned, and reported objectively. The conclusions of the study were based on the findings and logically stated. The article did get a little complicated in the reporting of data due to the complicated statistical procedures used. Overall, it was a very interesting, significant contribution to the field of research in family psychology. How to cite Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder, Papers

Strange News From Another Star - Symbolism Essays - Concepts

Strange News From Another Star - Symbolism Strange News from another Star is found to be a story which contains numerous symbols which in many cases contain some important, abstract information. Symbolism is something which is very difficult to explain due to the fact that not everyone sees the so mentioned symbol. They dont quite see it as you, because no two minds are the same, which implies the fact that they dont react equally to something which must be internally interpreted as it is not present as mere information. On this essay I will try to back up with concise words, why I believe that something is representing something abstract, as well as with information from the author. One of the first symbols that we may find, is actually the star. A star is known as a gaseous sphere, which with nuclear fusion and fission may actually give out huge amounts of energy. Obviously a star is a inhospitable place, so I believe that the star actually represents a planet or a country. The flowers, which have a very important part in the plot of the book are a symbol as well. They, have always, as least as far as I know, had a special message. A message of love, tranquillity, joy and they represent the harmony of nature itself. In the first stage of the book, we may see how a problem, the earthquake, has made the people in the star loose a vast amount of flowers. They lost some of the tranquillity and joy that had invaded their lives. And when they look for a messenger to go find flowers, theyre talking about re-finding the tranquillity and lack of fear that they wanted. I believe that the burials, actually represent life. It may sound a bit peculiar, but in real life once you get accustomed to living a happy, joyful life, you then will not be able to live without it and so, you will need to do practically anything, as the people in the star did, to find the flowers. The symbol of the deity that the youth saw in the temple, I understand that by the way in which the story progresses the symbol is actually representing the fact that war, or trouble (the bird of prey) destroys all happiness or good hearted feelings. I think that the representation is what I mentioned above, because when the messenger goes to the foreign star he sees destruction and a total lack of joy. We may find another symbol which goes from pages 55-59. Its the conversation that the youth holds with the king whos nation is in war. Its apparently a symbol because even-though it has important, concrete information for the story, theres more to the phrases themselves. They can be abstracted and thats when I see that the conversation is actually trying to explain the way in which the humanity is being erratic by trying to find happiness. To achieve happiness, you must first get rid of sadness, poverty, trouble, etc (war is the symbol used to represent all of them). It may not be found just by ignoring the others. In the kings star they werent happy because all of the nouns mentioned above were present. A proof of that may be the fact that when trouble, the earthquake, arouse in the province of the youth then they lost the peace and tranquillity, represented by the flowers that they had had. And ultimately I will mention the symbol which the black bird represents, its what I believe is the image of the harshness, horror and terror of war. Which may reach such levels of futility that it may apparently only be seen as a dream, or even more correct, would be to say that its like a nightmare.

Locate and Identify Black Locust in North America

Locate and Identify Black Locust in North America Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the black locust, is a prickly tree within the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family called  Fabaceae and is considered to be a legume with flattened pea pods several inches long. Black locust is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe and Asia. The original range of the locust is in the Appalachian, Ozark and Ouachita range  located in the middle mountains of Eastern North America.  They are now considered an invasive species in some areas even within the natural range. Black locust was introduced into Britain in 1636 where it has slowly garnered a universal appeal to tree lovers. Black Locust Identification One major identifier is the long compound leaves with up to 19 leaflets which present  the typical and unique locust leaf profile (not to be confused with the twice compound leaves of honey locust). The other ID marker is a small stout briar spine  on branches, often curved and in pairs at each leaf node. Late spring to early summer flowers can be showy, white and drooping  with 5-inch flower clusters. These flowers are fragrant with a vanilla and honey scent. The leguminous fruit developing from the flower has 4-inch papery thin pods with small, dark-brown, kidney-shaped seeds. These autumn seeds will persist until the next spring. You will find this tree primarily  in areas where it colonizes open fields and roadsides. Its ability to grow in poor soils, fast growth, ornamental foliage and fragrant flowers make for a favorite tree to plant. More on Black Locust Black locust is sometimes called yellow locust and grows naturally on a wide range of sites but does best on rich moist limestone soils.  Black locust is not a commercial timber species but is useful for many other purposes. Because it is a nitrogen fixer and has rapid juvenile growth, it is widely planted as an ornamental, for shelterbelts, and for land reclamation. It is suitable for fuelwood and pulp and provides cover for wildlife, browse for deer, and cavities for birds. We must recognize that black locust is not an important tree for logging purposes as there is very little timber value and it has little lumber or paper pulp potential. We still need to remember that the tree has and is used  in the United States to be manufactured into a wide variety of products. Robinia pseudoacacia is planted for many specialized purposes. Black locust is used for fence posts, mine timbers, poles, railroad ties, insulator pins, ship timber, tree nails for wooden ship construction, boxes, crates, pegs, stakes, and novelties. Pulp with satisfactory mechanical properties can be made from the tree, particularly by the sulfate process but commercial value awaits  further investigation.

Xenon Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Xenon Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Xenon is a noble gas. The element has atomic number 54 and element symbol Xe. Like all the noble gases, xenon is not very reactive, yet it has been known to form chemical compounds. Here is a collection of xenon facts, including the elements atomic data and properties. Xenon  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 54 Symbol: Xe Atomic Weight: 131.29 Discovery: Sir William Ramsay; M. W. Travers, 1898 (England) Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p6 Word Origin: Greek xenon, stranger; xenos, strange Isotopes: Natural xenon consists of a mixture of nine stable isotopes. An additional 20 unstable isotopes have been identified. Properties: Xenon is a noble or inert gas. However, xenon and other zero valance elements do form compounds. Although xenon is not toxic, its compounds are highly toxic due to their strong oxidizing characteristics. Some xenon compounds are colored. Metallic xenon has been produced. Excited xenon in a vacuum tube glows blue. Xenon is one of the heaviest gases; one liter of xenon weighs 5.842 grams. Uses: Xenon gas is used in electron tubes, bactericidal lamps, strobe lamps, and lamps used to excite ruby lasers. Xenon is used in applications where a high molecular weight gas is needed. The perxenates are used in analytical chemistry as oxidizing agents. Xenon-133 is useful as a radioisotope. Sources: Xenon is found in the atmosphere at levels of approximately one part in twenty million. It is commercially obtained by extraction from liquid air. Xenon-133 and xenon-135 are produced by neutron irradiation in air cooled nuclear reactors. Xenon Physical Data Element Classification: Inert Gas Density (g/cc): 3.52 ( -109 °C) Melting Point (K): 161.3 Boiling Point (K): 166.1 Appearance: heavy, colorless, odorless noble gas Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 42.9 Covalent Radius (pm): 131 Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.158 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 12.65 Pauling Negativity Number: 0.0 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 1170.0 Oxidation States: 7 Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 6.200 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) Return to the Periodic Table