Dear PDM -

I was just doing my coursework and in the race book this week's chapter had a list of the stats for immigration. I think the UK was #12 on the list of countries we let in? Mexico was first and China was second.

Ah, here's a list -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States

You're not even on this one but I think you're just below where it leaves off. So I'm not sure if that means competition is tough to get those spots, or if few people from the UK want to come here

Those small towns desperately need people - they need workers. They need people to run the stores and post offices and everything. They're turning into ghost towns.

Dear Mongrel -

Wow that sounds incredibly scary and stressful. I'm so glad you found a doctor who can help.

Mongrel, it sounds as if you had a little bit of good luck, there, amongst the bad experiences. We'll be thinking of you. All the best

Some of our friends moved to the USA, but one has now moved back ~ a university lecturer ~ and I'm not sure about the others. Our friend's parents are there ~ in Florida, I think.

I was under the impression that it was quite hard to get into the USA. We have some friends, who were originally from Hong Kong, but who settled in the USA. When their elderly parents wanted to join them there, they were not allowed in, so they settled here in England.

Finally, when the mother had been widowed for some time, she was allowed to join her sons, but, by this time, she was elderly and the flight did not suit her. She had a stroke and had to go into a nursing home, where she died. Sad story.

Dear PDM -

Every time I try to google people coming from the UK into the US I either get pages about how "bad" the immigration into the UK is - that you're being swamped with immigrants - or people from the US wanting to go to the UK So the web thinks people in the UK don't want to come here

The web thinks the UK is the ultimate destination. And I admit I adore England and would love living there. Every time I go to visit I want to stay longer. There's so much to see!

But back to the point at hand, I don't know anything about how immigration into the US works right now. I don't know if we have a yearly quota with a waiting line, or how they judge who they allow in and who they don't. I worked for biotechs and I know many scientists would come in on visas. So maybe it has something to do with being in a necessary job?

Janimal I don't think I have seen that particular documentary by pilger but I will tell you what I have. I have 32 Tb of torrents ready for download and you guys are welcome to partake just like anyone else. Pilger is one of my favorites but Chomsky, Zinn and Tariq Ali are my Bread and Butter. Here is the link to my Torrent site: www.onebigtorrent.org

I started it but it takes three of us to manage it now, the other two are top class technicians and I just supply the space.

Janimal I know what you are gong to say but I find that the BBC will report on things that stir the socialist soul of just about any person on the planet. I mean they certainly have a racket on "Open" programming out here in the west and I think thet the only station that may beat them out is Al-Jazeera but you never know just who is "buying" their time.

PDM, I too would like to move to the British Isles but for me it is kind of like Mecca is to a Muslim. I can be at peace with the land anywhere just like when we went to Oklahoma a couple of years ago I could feel the absolute power in the wind or the God Bisagrus all around me and the earth was warm in the day and cool at night just much different from where I grew up though we have a supreme balance of elementals here as well which gives us a wonderful harvest season and also allows us a restful winter, playful spring and a decent fall to get ready for the long winter.

The only problem with me moving to the UK, Ireland or even Australia is that every time I mention it my wife gets upset at the thought of leaving her family even though they cause us more grief than happiness most of the time. I always wanted to "live" araound the world if that makes any sense and I am in a perfect line of work to do just that.

A lot of English people would like to live somewhere a bit warmer and sunnier, I think

But life, here, is pretty good for the most part ~ in spite of all the moaning that the Brits may do

mongrel - impressive torrent site. can i pass the link around?

re the bbc - not long ago they still represented some form of free press, but i think cameron took the bbc director general aside and said if you want to keep your license fee, you have to tow the line. it is very noticable how the bbc is reluctant now to criticise the us and uk governments, and the recent spat of open criticism of israel is long gone.

for contrast, on the same day, watch the bbc news, then trawl russia today for their slant on the same articles. eye opening. for example, the bbc will talk about the triumphs of the populist rising in lybia, while rt will talk about the suffering of the people under nato intervention in their country. rt is one of the best channels out there now. the bbc i am afraid is now full of crap and a mere mouthpiece of the government.

Yes please pass along - Thats how it stays alive.

It looks like I am going to need to use that FreeInternetTV Program I bought and start watching some Russian TV. I have noticed that BBC says nothing of the aparthied wall anymore.