User:	lifewithlogan
	Date:	2008-08-29 15:52
	Subject:	Palin .... hmmm ....
	Security:	Public

Well, there is exactly ONE person on my f-list who is enthusiastic about Sarah Palin as McCain's VP choice, and that is of course rgoing, who now signs all his posts "Vote the hero, not the zero," so I'm not exactly surprised. :-)

Most other people are going, "Huh? What? Any woman will do to draw in those disappointed Hillary voters, even though she's younger and less experienced than Obama? I don't think so."

I guess we'll find out in November.

	User:	rillifane
	Date:	2008-08-29 14:26
	Subject:	McCain picks VP
	Security:	Public

I awoke this morning a bit groggy and glanced at my computer to see the headline "McCain picks Palin as VP.

Wow! What a great choice I thought. I really like Palin.



If they get elected they can make John Cleese head of the Department of Silly Walks



But wait...Palin is a Brit not an American...

Then I realized that it's Sarah Palin and not Michael Palin......

Bummer.

	User:	brits_americans (posted by bapgacktgrrl)
	Date:	2008-08-29 03:15
	Subject:	About to make the big move....
	Security:	Public

I am roughly 12 days (give or take some dealings of a personal nature) out from moving to Aberdeen, Scotland for my MLitt degree, and I am beginning to become a nervous wreck. I mean, I have all my paperwork together, entry clearance and all done, and most of my boxes are packed and ready to be shipped. I will be staying in temporary halls until I move into my dorm room flat later in the month.

So.....Is this normal? I figure I have nothing to fear, but I have never lived outside of the States in my life, and am fully aware of the major change of life this will be. It's getting to be a bit crippling in terms of getting anything done in a timely manner, plus this is only the second time I have been away for an extended time period from home. Maybe some current Scottish residents-native and otherwise- can give give me some pre-and post-adjustment tips? FYI:I am in my 30's, rather introverted by nature, a bit bookish and a native of Florida....and don't mind the odd drink or two. Thanks in advance!

	User:	djthiskingdom
	Date:	2008-08-29 17:03
	Subject:	Second August New Moon: Virgo 7, Virgo 8
	Security:	Public

6 am Sydney time. Sun conjunct Moon conjunct Saturn, Venus conjunct Mercury conjunct Mars.

	User:	henman
	Date:	2008-08-29 02:30
	Subject:	Just another twit(ter)
	Security:	Public

• 07:34 just added an RSS feed via toluu 'my pointless' www.toluu.com/feeds/671362708/ #
• 07:54 just added an RSS feed via toluu 'MostlyLisa.com' www.toluu.com/feeds/169569446/ #
• 07:56 just added an RSS feed via toluu 'Stop Shooting Auto!' www.toluu.com/feeds/407939056/ #
• 08:11 is going in to work today to pick up personal stuff and have lunch with friends ... wearing this tinyurl.com/uvhs #
• 09:38 @jevon For a minute I wondered how the ploughing requirement related to the new scramble crossing! It would move the crowds quicker though! #
• 15:47 is back from lunch and catching up on Twitter + Facebook before I have another bash at Flickr (lots of photos to edit + release) #
• 16:58 has only done 2 of these 5 "Insane Upgrades That You Should Never Do" (so far!) - tinyurl.com/59f5tf #
• 18:39 @mindrobber Free beer? Where? I'm on my way! #
• 20:04 @mindrobber ...and his friend Mr. Robertson? #
• 23:36 met Phil Hill at Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years ago - www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20700.html #

	User:	brits_americans (posted by astartesyriaca)
	Date:	2008-08-29 03:10
	Subject:	For those of us who whine about long distance love - me included...
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	inspired

Wife's 8,000-mile trip for spouse

A pilot from the US has told how she keeps her long-distance relationship alive by making 8,000-mile round trips to visit her husband in Scotland.

EDIT: I SHOULD have titled this "License to Bitch", apparently. I was surprised to see how this story inspired so many of you to moan. Fair warning I guess: if you DO get to see your SO regularly, or heaven forbid MOVE to be with them, don't let us know! People will just feel bitter!

My thought on posting this story was moreso to show that people are making things work in all kinds of situations. I was happy to see the BBC reporting on it too... why is it newsworthy? Because she flies 8000 miles almost every two weeks! So, some of you fly further... wouldn't it be great if you could do it more often? Gosh, people... it is hard for everyone in a long distance relationship. I for one feel happy for this couple.

	User:	brits_americans (posted by suckstobeyou)
	Date:	2008-08-28 19:45
	Subject:	BANKING QUESTION.
	Security:	Public

I'm moving to London in December. I'll be starting school in January. My parents will be sending me money periodically for food, rent and whatever.

My questions:

How do you move money from the US to UK? What does it cost? Is there a cheap way to do it? Should I open a Barclay account in the US? Is it possible to open the account in the UK before I move there?

	User:	brits_americans (posted by tronochick)
	Date:	2008-08-28 20:38
	Subject:	Maybe we should just start taking a boat?
	Security:	Public

Zoom bites the dust

This is too bad. I thought they were a decent airline and their flights were, of course, cheap.

	User:	norwegianne
	Date:	2008-08-29 00:58
	Subject:	Things I have learnt in the past two days...
	Security:	Public
	Music:	What Makes You Happy - Liz Phair

about picking people up at the airport.

1. Not everybody is as at being quick off the plane, and quick at getting their luggage as I am. Therefore it is probably not necessary to be there 15+ minutes before the plane is scheduled to land. I had one experience two years ago when the plane landed an hour before it was scheduled - but this is not the norm.

2. Try to get a picture of the person you're there to pick up. A name sign helps - but looking at a gazillion faces as they come out of the arrival gate… is tiring when you don't know what to look for. In the confusion of arrival - even when strategically placed - it is indeed possible to miss the signs. The picture of the Japanese guy helped tons to identify him, even if I asked the wrong guy first.

3. Guys will hit on you stand there with your silly sign. Yesterday, someone pretended to be the Japanese guy, except they were very clearly a) not Japanese and b) not the person in the picture I'd received. Today someone asked me if I was Isabel - the name sign I was holding up.

4. Having some sort of contact information for the person - probably a good idea.

5. Learnt to be patient… there's a lot of waiting going on.

	User:	lifewithlogan
	Date:	2008-08-28 16:19
	Subject:	Fair enough
	Security:	Public

I have a pile of office work to do tonight to get stuff ready to give to another attorney at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, but I have a chance to get to the Fonda Fair tonight with Jess and I'm going to take it. This might be the last night of the fair that it doesn't rain. Even if I have to stay up late tonight, it should be worth it.

	User:	norwegianne
	Date:	2008-08-28 21:06
	Subject:	Political preference
	Security:	Public
	Music:	Mad World - Gary Jules

Since there's an election in Norway next year, and I will likely be living in Norway again (not that I haven't voted in Norway while living in Denmark…) I decided to test my "party preferences" at Aftenposten.

Perhaps not so surprisingly, I ended with the same result that I've been voting since I started voting.

Number 2 is also a candidate I'd consider voting for.

I had an interesting debate with a Norwegian guy I work with, about the basic satisfaction with the current cabinet. Personally, I'm less than satisfied - too many broken promises (how is the swimming pools? the kindergarten coverage?) , too many fuck-ups, too much controversy, seemingly for the sake of controversy, etc… he, on the other hand, was quite satisfied.

	User:	lifewithlogan
	Date:	2008-08-28 09:34
	Subject:	A report of a friend's visit to Lois
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	relieved

If silverplate88 is not on your friends list, you might miss this post, so if you are a friend of Lois (lotus82), be sure to read this report of a visit to Lois in the hospital.

	User:	norwegianne
	Date:	2008-08-28 15:14
	Subject:	The life in Copenhagen
	Security:	Public
	Music:	Belonging - Secret Garden

Picked up the Czech girl at the airport. Czech girl looks like she's littledupont's lost twin, or something like that. They do look freakishly similar.

Tonight I'll pick up the Portugese girl.

	User:	djthiskingdom
	Date:	2008-08-28 20:33
	Subject:
	Security:	Public

Amen.

	User:	henman
	Date:	2008-08-28 02:31
	Subject:	Just another twit(ter)
	Security:	Public

• 08:45 watns to go - can I, please? news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7580913.stm #
• 11:20 wants to warn users of "offsite backup copies" of XP about this -- tinyurl.com/58h529 #
• 13:04 is watching webinar re: Secrets of Enterprise Agile Adoption - I missed the previous 2 thanks to work - yeah, no time for training for me! #
• 13:59 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! Badminton tonight is cancelled again :( #
• 18:57 @f1uncensored ...and don't apply the rules fairly (i.e. dangerously releasing Massa from the box) ... but then that's nothing new :( #
• 23:06 @ambermacarthur What is this "unplugging" of which you speak? :) #
• 23:13 thinks this report is backwards: Macclesfield one of the cheeriest places but Edinburgh one of the least? news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/hea ... #
• 23:41 thought mushroom caused people to think they're flying, not cause them to land? news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7585234.stm #

	User:	brits_americans (posted by sofamiliar)
	Date:	2008-08-27 19:38
	Subject:
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	amused

Recap: American in Midlands England on a spousal visa.

Today in my ever-so-fair Stoke-on-Trent while waiting for the bus, I was informed a few things about my home country of the US:

-It never rains there. No. Never. People never have to wear raincoats or rain hats.
-Everyone eats pie every day. All the shops (from florist shops to the post office) sell pie. All of them.
-All Americans are fat. There are no skinny people in America.
-All Americans are rich.
-All Americans love the Irish. (To which I retorted: "Well, not me so much, ever since I found out why I can't throw away my garbage in train stations." This was disregarded.)
-My husband doesn't love me because he didn't insist on us moving to America.
-Everyone knows how to whistle to hail a cab.
-Everyone says "Hey duuuuude, what's hangin'?"

There are NO EXCEPTIONS.

What astonishing things have you found out about your home country while abroad?

	User:	norwegianne
	Date:	2008-08-27 18:43
	Subject:	A very long day
	Security:	Public
	Music:	King Without a Crown - Matisyahu

Work first, and then I had a meeting at school… before picking up the Japanese exchange student at the airport.

With the time-difference - he was approaching 1AM, and Denmark was on 6PM, and his (not very good English, although it did progress as we went on) the conversations were short and stilted. We managed with smiles and laughter. Basically my job was, chiefly to bring him to his dorms, but I also ended up showing him where the school was, and going grocery shopping with him.

Whenever I pick someone up at the airport for this sort of thing, I always end up feeling like their mother for a while. "Now, what do you need," "remember this" "Make sure of that" "Is there any questions?"

I basically worry more about the ones who aren't native English speakers, as the level of English varies a lot.

	User:	brits_americans (posted by amspeck_myworld)
	Date:	2008-08-27 14:13
	Subject:	Name changes, babies, and elections
	Security:	Public

Has any Americans in here changed their names while in the UK? I'm looking to completely change my full name legally (I already go by it socially) and I'm wondering how difficult it was to change the passport to have the new name?

Also, has anyone registered an older children as a US citizen at the Embassy (I'm the mother, and obviously American, my husband is British). The website says it has to be done before they turn 18. I already have two who have yet to be registered, and I'm debating doing it asap, or waiting until I'm either 'done' childwise or doing it in a group. I'm in northern england and travelling to London is not on my 'desire to do a lot' list.

More amusing, has anyone else felt that they are meant to be other people's 'guide to American elections?'. I've been asked quite a bit who I think will be elected as president, and I really have response other than 'I don't know, I can't read all my countrymen's minds yet'.

Thanks!

	User:	lifewithlogan
	Date:	2008-08-27 08:08
	Subject:	Just a quick post while the coffee is brewing ....
	Security:	Public
	Mood:	amused

When I started up the coffeemaker this morning, I noticed that the label on the coffee container, where it says "Folgers Coffeehouse," was blurred so that it looked like "Folgers CoffeeMouse."

Immediately I had this vivid image of a Disney-esque mouse, sneaking around in the middle of the night with a tiny graffiti paintbrush, changing the label from "Coffeehouse" to "CoffeeMouse" and standing back to admire the work with pride. :-)

	User:	brits_americans (posted by venusloon)
	Date:	2008-08-27 23:18
	Subject:	plane ticket and immigration
	Security:	Public

i'm due to go to belfast in a couple weeks to attend queen's for a postgrad degree.  i already have my student visa, but i've held out on buying the plane ticket to BFS.  (the price hasn't changed for weeks, so it isn't a problem.) 

my question is, if i just buy a one-way ticket, since i don't plan on coming home for a long while, will they give me crap at passport control/customs/youknowwhatimean?  i don't want to buy it for the sake of having to and paying a huge fee to change it to the actual date i'm travelling once i figure it out.

thanks!!