Separation

US Considers Separating Kids And Adults At The Mexico Border

Here's what it's about:

Typically, adults who illegally enter the U.S. with children are released from detention while they wait for a court hearing.

Another means of forced dissuasion. This one, it actually seems a little cruel, but rather pragmatic.

The immigration issue, I have mixed opinions. I often wonder what I'd be like today if I grew up in Jamaica or the United Kingdom instead of the United States. As far as living here, I'll just say that it probably wasn't the most kosher way of doing things. I'd have preferred proper channels.

If they forced me to move, I suppose it would be inconvenient, and I suppose I'd have to think about alternative plans.

Proper channels themselves are up to debate at the moment, and constantly in flux. I wonder, though, how traumatic it would be for the parties to have themselves in separation. It beings to me an image of Nazi times where they'd done the same thing, separating parents and children, but it seems they'd done it more for cruelty (because the people had no choice in their relocation) than to actually try to stop people who (debatably) have a choice in their relocation and migration patterns.

Their options may not be ideal (and thinking about it might cause some people to think I'm supporting it instead of completely dismissing it), but they seem to have alternative options that might not be timely but there.

It does sadden me some that they have to consider this.

Got Children?

Home Office says Nigerian asylum-seeker can't be a lesbian as she's got children
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-says-nigerian-asylumseeker-cant-be-a-lesbian-as-shes-got-children-10083385.html

I'm sorry, the only word I have for this is "W(ə)T(ə)F(ə)…"

[accent]Stupid Americans[/accent]

Piers Morgan and CNN Plan End to His Prime-Time Show
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/business/media/piers-morgan-and-cnn-plan-end-to-his-prime-time-show.html

Okay, yes, I'm bi-national. I'm a British Citizen who received his US naturalization in 2006. I've grown up in the United States primarily, and being an anthropologist have observed all the little things that make United States Americans proud and whatnot, as well as what leaves others wanting more.

This, however, is an example of that. Americans don't want to accept anything that makes them think about anything other than the United States except for when it's convenient, trendy, or what "everyone else" is doing. So, when Piers Morgan confronts them obliquely, debating as he does or, apparently as this article states, doesn't cover what "Americans want to hear", shutting him down is a problem.

Accepting that shutting him down because he runs his show the way he does and that "everyone" flees to other networks because of that is a problem. Full disclosure: I've never watched Piers Morgan Tonight. I've never been one for talk shows period, so pretty much any of them I've stayed away from, daytime or primetime. I, therefore, have no idea if the show is (or was) any good. My judgment lies solely with the article's claims. I'd like to believe my knee-jerk feelings have some merit, though: Americans on a majority do not want to hear about things that make them change their minds.

This is sad. This is why this country is so messed-up, and this is why it makes me smile sometimes when other countries put this one in its place. The United States' priorities skew completely waywardly most of the time, and yet it expects the rest of the world to bend over and take it whenever it wants a piece. If Piers Morgan helped the United States in some part during his tenure to see that there are things beyond being the third-largest country (debatably) and the third most populous, that there are people dying *everywhere* while the majority of US residents were in their homes watching a bunch of people vie for twoish-pound pieces of metal medallions, then bully for him.

Yes, there are other countries, mostly European, that just about force their naturalized denizens to become French (or Italian, or German, or whatever) culturally and shun them if they don't adapt and make 100% a part of them all the trappings of Frenchness just as this article asserts CNN and the viewing public expected of Piers Morgan. If the United States is such a world leader, then shouldn't it lead with the example that some Britain-born dude on a US prime time show can be what he is, and shouldn't we "enlightened" Americans accept him for it? Yes, it's ratings. Yes, this is idealistic.

But this is why this country is filled with stupid people. 

BP CEO Tony Hayward criticised for yacht trip

BBC News:

Okay, so I read this story, and I didn't quite have the reaction most seem to have. Yes, BP's CEO Tony Hayward is sailing. Sailing is considered - generally - a rich person's sport, and I agree in some respects. You have to have a boat, maintain it, learn about its workings... It takes some effort which - as said - one could spend trying to resolve an environmental crisis.

I, however, take a more sympathetic view for Mr Hayward, and so have an advocate's view somewhat.

Being Human
Mr Hayward is human. As a human, he requires rest and diversion in order to function at his best, and to make decisive, important choices regarding the spill. Sometimes a weekend at home with family doesn't do it. While he's with his family, he isn't really going anywhere, is he? I'm certain that doing something he could only consider a hobby can do wonders to his mental health and ability to cope with the strain of having a monumental task of cleaning up, investigating the explosion and dealing with the media and public.

Deepwater Horizon/BP
The incident happened in April, and I doubt he imagined this would have gone on for so long. The company has never had to deal with all the things they have, as they've said. I've said often why they don't just shut the thing down entirely instead of culling petroleum where they can. I don't know anything, though, so who knows how hard it is just to do that. I'm sure they've brought out who they can to help. The United States Coast Guard has been working on this too. Seriously, one can't blame only BP, and I'm tired of everyone's always wanting to scapegoat whenever something happens. Forget blaming someone: just do something, right?

Round the Island Race 2010
This race, the 79th iteration with 1754 entries this year, opened registration back in January. With the way I imagine a CEO's life must be, he would have to have scheduled his registration. The Deepwater Horizon incident happened in April. I have no evidence to state this, but I imagine he would have had to pay a registration fee, one he would not have been able to recoup so close to the start of the competition.

Family
He was sailing with his son. Should his family suffer too?

Sympathy for the Affected
I do understand the people affected have less financial resources than Mr Hayward, and his job can theoretically continue because his job is to manage others, come up with ideas, and make the company profitable, not to use the resources of the gulf-now-polluted.

Queen invented the phone, and other odd UK children's beliefs

Go to BBC to read the original article.

"Children's strange misconceptions about science are revealed in a science knowledge quiz."

Seriously? Well, this is certainly a Daily Mail-esque article without a good deal of the judgment, but I suppose I'd have to see a similar study done in the United States.