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Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.

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    Saturday, July 19th, 2008
    debate
    [ gorgeousjoey ]
         		1:48a
    Personality?
    Is the personality/image one projects an intuitive thing, developed over your lifetime by your experiential interactions with others? Or does one emulate an image who embodies an ideal?

    I'm curious to hear about Psychological and Philosophical interpretations; but as well as your empirical accounts. What created the essence of your being that you display to the world?
    Friday, July 18th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ candlelight1228 ]
         		2:36p
    Traveling on Dual Nationality
    A few weeks ago I uprooted and moved from NYC to London. As it was my understanding at the time, I entered the country (UK) on my British Passport; having left the states on the US passport. This morning, however, someone informed me that I should have entered the UK on my US passport and not my UK passport because supposedly you are supposed to travel on one of the passports but then you risk "over staying" even if you are dual. However, if I recall correctly, my mum (who is also dual) has left and entered in much the same way without a problem. Considering she is out of town at the moment I can't ask her and she may not know if laws have changed. Thus I am wondering if any of you with dual nationality have an understanding of the law(s) surrounding this for the US and UK? I am now a little bit worried about returning to the states and having problems because I don't have a stamp in my US passport saying I entered the UK but would they even look? This is my first time traveling on two passports so I am unsure of the process. Help?

    Edited: Thanks. Question answered. Though why can't I add dual nationality and living in the uk into my tags?

    Current Mood: concerned
    Current Music: TV
    brits_americans
    [ happycycling ]
         		8:30a
    quick air travel question (x-posted)
    I'm heading to the UK for a masters degree around September 18 and have no idea when I'll be coming back to the States. Round-trip flights are cheaper than one-ways (at least for the airline/airports I'm looking at), and the UK -> US -> UK fare is a better deal than the reverse for the same dates and airports. Would I get in trouble with the government of either country if I book the UK -> US -> UK flight and only use the US -> UK portion?

    (I hope this makes sense.)
    brits_americans
    [ chuckdarwin ]
         		12:37p
    Free Advice


    Yesterday, a co-worker posed this question: "My sister is going to 'Mitchigan' on holiday. What advice would you give her?"

    I said "Number One: tell her never to say "MiTchigan"... people will laugh at her. It's like when Americans come over here and stumble over Gloucester, Leominster or Worcestershire. People will treat her like a rube. Pretend the word Michigan has an SH in it. MiSHigan.

    Number Two: Avoid Detroit. Don't even venture near it. Go somewhere else, like Lansing or Mackinac Island. Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world... you can't really go wrong.

    Number Three: Listen to this. A lot.

    Number Four: Go fishing.

    ( Read more... )

    Now, it's your turn. Pretend I'm visiting somewhere you know well. Give me some advice.
    brits_americans
    [ xanykaos ]
         		12:13a
    Weird question:

    Does "geek" in the UK carry with it more of an implication of "really into science and technology" rather than "somewhat obsessed with music/movies/comics/nerdy things/etc?" Because I keep encountering it almost exclusively in that context, and it's getting a little confusing, given that my friends, classmates, roomies, and I have refered to ourselves as "geeks" for the past several years, usually with only a passing grasp of technology.

    I hope the wording on this makes sense; it's late, I'm tired, and I'll likely try to fix it tomorrow.
    Thursday, July 17th, 2008
    debate
    [ casualcasualty ]
         		5:07p
    Rocking harder?



    For Debate: Van Halen or Van Hagar
    brits_americans
    [ napalm_prisoner ]
         		12:35p
    Multiple Questions
    I have some questions in regards to jobs and banking.

    Prior to moving to London, I will be a college graduate with a BA. Now, my school is no Harvard (obviously, well known) but I do go to an excellent school, USC here in California. How credible are US schools in comparison with UK schools during the job search process?
    I feel like I have good work experience for a standard office type job until I find a gig I like, but so far I've had one retail job and have worked at the Canadian Consulate for the last year years on and off gaining experience mainly in Consular Duties and Administration. I know it's probably hard to answer but are these helpful in the job hunt?

    I just dont want to arrive and be jobless for days/weeks/months.

    Lastly, since I want to be prepared prior to moving I need to open a bank account with some money. I was curious in HSBC's offshore account which can be opened as long as you start with 5000 quid. I've seen there Passport account but I want to have money there way in advance prior to moving. Any other banks offering good options?

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Edit:
    I have double citizenship France/USA so I'd obviously enter the UK with my French passport thus enabling me to work/live without problems.
    Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
    debate
    [ hiro_antagonist ]
         		10:13p
    Making Good Quality LJ Friends?
    For debate:

    What's the best way to make quality friends on LJ? You can add random people with the same interests, but they may or may not be much for social interaction, and it can take a lot of work to sort through hundreds of boring journals full of daily minutiae to find someone interesting.

    I've been a member of [info]debate since the month it started. So, like, forever in internet years. But a lot of the time I feel like I'm just passing through. It's gotten to the point where I'm more interested in talking to people than trolling for lulz. I must be getting old.

    Sub debate:
    Mr. Flag is the hottest person in [info]debate
    brits_americans
    [ deke ]
         		10:39p
    Piper Alpha?
    Recently, several of the BBC podcasts I listen to have had commemorations and tributes to the victims and survivors of the Piper Alpha disaster which happened 20 years ago this month. I was initially unaware of the Piper Alpha tragedy until these remembrances aired. At that time, I was in high school in a small town with only 1 radio station, a weekly newspaper and 3 fuzzy TV channels, but I would think I would have heard something about it had it made the news in the States.

    I'm interested in knowing what Britons my age or younger know about the tragedy. I don't need the specifics - I have found out a lot from the news podcasts and further research on my own. I'm really much more interested in what British students have learned in school about the event. Is it covered in History classes? Is it something that's passed down by word of mouth (ie: "When I was your age...")? Those of you who are in your teens and 20s, do you know about it or had you not heard about it before the recent renewed media coverage? Are you aware of the recent media coverage?

    I guess what it really boils down to is this: the podcasts and some of the online articles I've found make it appear that the Piper Alpha disaster is a scar on the nation's psyche. I'd like to know if the average Briton feels the repercussions of that day deeply or (meaning no disrespect to those who died) if the current media blitz has skewed its importance in recent British history.

    Current Mood: curious
    brits_americans
    [ winterbadger ]
         		11:35p
    illusions?
    So, I'm curious. For those of you who live, or have lived, in the UK having come from the US (or in the US having come from the UK), what surprised you most? By which I mean not so much economic things or climate things, but what did you believe/expect/look forward to about the place you were going that turned out to be completely wrong? I'm thinking first of all of disappointments (shattered dreams? ;-) but also of unexpected pleasant surprises.

    I know, I know, in [X] they don't have [Y foodstuff] and the cost of living is [better/worse] and it always [rains/is sunny], which is just awful. But on a somewhat deeper or more abstract level, what was really different that you didn't expect?

    Current Mood: curious
    Thursday, July 17th, 2008
    debate
    [ rabid_violence ]
         		12:28a
    Obama and Iraq
    With the election drawing nearer, the date that Obama travels to Iraq and meets with David Petraeus grows closer. Though the media has left McCain for dead, this meeting and the policy announcements that follow it may prove to be the Stalingrad of this campaign. Why? Because there is little doubt now that Obama was unequivocally wrong in voting against the surge and demanding that a rigid timetable of redeployment be implemented. Don't believe me? Eat the numbers.

    It's been quite clear for some time now that the surge worked, and that if the violence trends in that country continue to decline, the situation in Iraq will have fully stabilized. Rewinding back to early 2007, let's focus on a little thing Obama likes to emphasize- judgment. Obama took the politically convenient stance and capitalized on the war's unpopularity, demanding that the troops start coming home immediately. McCain on the other hand, risked the entirety of his political career to support a measure he had been calling on for years, and lo and behold- the crazy old man was right. After Obama's proposal failed, he continued to ignore changing conditions on the ground, demanding troops come home and saying in September 2007 that "...We've set the bar so low, that modest progress is defined as success."

    However in April 2008 Obama appeared to have switched his view on Iraq completely, arguing that the country was not in an ideal situation, but the troops should come home because it was "a messy, sloppy status quo" or in other words, a success that was good enough. The timetable he suggested was rejected by generals on the ground, who claimed (correctly) that Iraq would collapse on itself if U.S. forces were withdrawn too quickly. Now, in July 2008, Obama has among other things, removed his criticism of the surge from his website, and hinted that he may drop his timetable for withdrawal completely.

    The dance Obama does once he returns from his Iraq trip will be something to tape and save for the ages. If he drops his timetable, he will most likely lose the presidency, if he sticks with it damning all consequences, he sets himself up to be either an outright liar, or one of the most disastrous presidents in history. And yes, he will surpass GWB in that category. Who knows what the Obama of today would say to the Obama of tomorrow? Nominally, he still supports his "2 brigades a month" plan and vows to remove aide to the government even more quickly if the situation does not improve under his leadership.

    AQI, the Mehdi Army, and the Badr Brigade are all in remission and their political capital is dwindling. These organizations are desperate for change, and the Obama of July 17, 2008 may be their last best hope.
    Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ thatwemightfly ]
         		12:38p
    I fished a "keep left" regulatory sign from a skip when a road near me was being redone. It was all mangled and dirty but i un-bent it and shined it up a bit. It's been in my room all year and i've grown quite attached to it.

    So, question is, is it illegal for me to transport it to the US when I go? Would it be illegal for me to ship it?

    You can buy them on eBay and such, but for some reason I keep thinking that this is a no-no and i'll have to dispose of it and be sad.

    Any suggestions? Please and thanks :)
    Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
    debate
    [ midnightglobe ]
         		3:22p


    if this featured john mccain giving david duke a high five in front of a portrait of mussolini, would it be ironic? would it be effective? would the new yorker publish it?

    EDIT:: if you think this is funny, you probably also enjoy carlos mencia. talentless racial humor with no redeeming social commentary must be your cup of tea.
    brits_americans
    [ ny_esq_03 ]
         		12:03p
    Tier 1 Visa
    Okay, so it's been AGES since I've posted and my apologies if this has been answered previously, but I'm freaking out because I really dropped the ball on my visa application (long story), though it's not technically late.

    Anyway, I'm in the UK and have applied to change status from student to Tier 1 (replacing the HSMP scheme) and all docs have been received by the Home Office yesterday. I'm meant to go back to the States for 2 weeks on 1st Sept. and return to start a new job on the 15th. Clearly, this is contingent on the visa gods smiling down upon me and granting my visa and returning my passport before I travel.

    Has anyone else applied for and been granted a tier 1 visa, and, if so, how long did it take to process? Mind, this is not a tier 1 visa for a dependent, which I understand only takes a matter of days.

    *fingers crossed*

    Current Mood: anxious
    Monday, July 14th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ imaginer7 ]
         		8:55p
    Afternoon Tea?
    I've checked other communities, read the rules and FAQs of this one and decided this is most likely okay and appropriate to post here. :)

    If you were to choose to have Afternoon Tea at The Ritz or at Brown's Hotel, which would you choose and why?

    Thanks!
    brits_americans
    [ wavenypark ]
         		6:55p
    Hi,

    I was wondering if any of you know where I might be able to find some pictures of Liverpool in the 1940s & early fifties? Google has been only partially helpful, & I am asking at a few other places, too.

    Thanks for your time!
    debate
    [ smz12231994 ]
         		12:02p
    Controlling the Weather
    The idea of weather conrtol may seem appealing at first, but this is not the first time humans have attempted such a feat, and many previous times created even worse enviromental disaters. 

    As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, the topic of the enviroment is extremely important to me. For it was conrtol of Mother Nature that greatly contributed to the New Orleans flood and the magnitude of Hurrican Katrina.

    Long ago, when European colonists first began settling in New Orleans, they discovered a problem. Every so often, the city would flood. So, the colonists set up walls along the coast, mounds of dirt, to keep out the water. The walls were called levees.

    However, the water did more than just flood the city. When it receded, it left sediment behind, and the sediment stregnthened the coast. With walls stopping the water from doing what Mother Nature had intended, the water just continued on.

    The temperature heightened as Global Warming took its toll, and hurricanes worsened in the comings years. When Hurricane Katrina came along, there was nothing to protect the land, as by now the coast was too weak to do it, and without funding, the levees might not have been there in the face of a level-5 hurricane.

    There were many factors contributing to Hurrican Katrina and its terrible aftermath, but there is no denying that weather control was a major cause. 

    This is just one example. Messing around with weather, most of the time by accident, has appeared other times in history. It is a fact that humans contributed to Global Warming with our Carbon Dioxide emissions. 

    So, what do you say? Is weather control a good thing, or a bad thing?

    Saturday, July 12th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ clarithmetic ]
         		10:22p
    apologies for boring post..
    ..but i am going to new york in five days, and wondered if my maestro card will work there? and anyone know what overseas charges are like with natwest?

    many thanks
    Friday, July 11th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ spincyclescream ]
         		1:00p
    Hi all,

    I've recently somehow gotten a job in the UK and now desperately need a bank account.  I'm on a BUNAC visa and will be returning to the US in August, but the job is an internet-type job and I will continue to be employed by the UK company once I return to the US.  I will continue to be payed via my as-of-yet-nonexistent UK bank account after I go home.

    I have considered HSBC's Passport account, but it's only a 12 month fixed term account and I don't really fancy paying £6/month or whatever--although I get the sense that with my particular visa status I may not have a choice.  My boyfriend has brought up the idea of opening a joint account since he's English and all, but I'm curious whether it's possible for me to do that, since I'm not on utility bills, council taxes, etc.

    Any advice?  I've read the tagged entries for banking but am still unsure.

    Edit:  Thanks for all your advice.
    Thursday, July 10th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ ulyssessgirl ]
         		2:29p
    Help Wanted: English Food Recipies
    I fancy myself a foodie/gourmand and am really interested in dishes/bakery items/what-have-you/ that are quintessentially "British."
    If you know where to look or have something in mind, please let me know.
    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
    missdiamondfan
         		1:50p
    Its................................

    Its tooooooooooooooooo damm hot here and humid.         



    Current Mood: listless
    debate
    [ ghoststrider ]
         		4:30p
    Wheezer
    For Debate: Is saying "For Debate: Weezer is the shittiest band ever" really a debate, or just a statement of the obvious?
    brits_americans
    [ missfuzzybunny ]
         		11:20a
    Apartment Hotels in London?
    Hi, I thought I'd ask this here even if it's slightly OT from cross cultural experiences in the UK.

    Does anyone know of a decently priced apartment rental for a very short term stay in London? We'd like it for 4 people (2 couples) for our stay in London September 5-9. Something fairly central would be best.

    If you know any good reputable agencies, or maybe have a friend with an apartment to rent out, please send ideas my way.

    Thanks in advance!
    Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ marybon85 ]
         		4:25p
    The Proms?
    My boyfriend has gotten tickets to the proms for a night while I'm visiting him. I'm not familiar with this in the slightest, but I'm very excited for it. I know the BBC proms website says there is no dress code, but is this true? I kind of want to dress up a little, so would I be very out of place doing so? Does anyone have any proms experiences to share?
    Monday, July 7th, 2008
    brits_americans
    [ lolasenvy ]
         		9:35p
    Meetups?
    My Trip to England is nearly completely planned, and now I'm looking for social things to do while there. I'd love to meet up with anyone who might like to meet with me and my friend. We are also fangirls, so if anyone is interested in Doctor Who or the like would be awesome!

    ( My schedule )

    Current Mood: hopeful
    Current Music: Big Bag Theory
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