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Problem: Canadians don't need student visas to study in the US. There's paperwork, for sure, but no visa. So second sentence in the second paragraph and we've got our calibration of the journalism at work here.

Haiti is a shithole. Cuba is a shithole with universal healthcare and higher standards of living. Suck it up princess.

Cuba is a *drastically better* place to live than Haiti. Do the research yourself.

This is just one piece of a very big picture to get you started. Highlights:

"Please note that U.S. Embassy staff may only visit downtown Port-au-Prince in armored vehicles and must observe a midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew. "

"Travel by road is difficult and dangerous in Haiti. The situation on the roads can be described as chaotic. Drivers in Haiti must use extreme caution. Poor road conditions and the absence of traffic rules lead to unpredictable and dangerous driving behavior."

Haiti has no sanitation or public health to speak of. What the previous page doesn't delve into is the long list of vaccinations you need to receive (4-6 weeks) before setting foot on Haitian soil.

That's just the beginning. Really you have no idea how bad it is in Haiti or any other black-goverened nation. They simply cannot effectively manage anything larger than a clan or tribe.

If you live in Canada, you already are :). It drives the US nuts that we can (or used to be able to?) burn copies of CDs for free for friends & family, for research etc.

Apparently lots of torrent sites are partially-based in Canada as well. http://iipdigital.usembassy.go...

In Canada, you cannot, and never have been legally able to, burn CDs for friends and family.

The Copyright was (prior to it's last revision, which is what you are referring to) clear; you could only make copies of music yourself for your own use. Distribution in any form, which includes making a "mix tape" and giving it to your mother, is illegal and always has been in Canada.

*Who's* national security is undermined?

Everyone's.

Really? Show me the OPLAN (Operations Plan) of a plausible scenario, with a Commander's Intent, Mission, Purpose, End State, and Scheme of Maneuver, where the Russian military would engage in a conventional attack against the continental US. Otherwise this statement is false. This is why I rank Woodrow Wilson as the worst US President of All Time: He really put into practice this idea that "Europe's problems are America's problems", and it's saturated the minds of Americans ever since.

However, if Russia has cause to believe that the USA will not honor its commitments to NATO, that could tempt Russia to try to "take back" one or more of the East European countries it lost after the cold war (similar to the way it "took back" part of the Ukraine in 2014).

The Russians are deeply pragmatic. What would they have to gain by annexing the Baltic states? The Russian minorities are small and their economies, while decently developed, are small in the aggregate. They can only expect unplanned 2nd and 3rd-order effects of an invasion, and probably a costly insurgency, not to mention souring their relationship with the rest of Europe. Europe is still their primary customer for natural gas exports. Even in the shoddy condition of their military in the late 90's/early 00's, there were no indications they were even *thinking* of such a course of action. It's only been the constant expansion of NATO right up to their border, combined with the US's deployment of Anti-Ballistic Missiles on their doorstep, that has led to a belligerent reaction.

Russia's nuclear arsenal is the primary tool for assuring national survival, and US attempts to undermine the MAD balance are rightly taken as an extreme national security threat. Obama won't even discuss the ABM issue with Putin. ( http://www.zerohedge.com/news/... ) The last time someone built a military alliance up to their Western doorstep, it cost the Russians 20 million+ lives to rectify the situation. Do you think they are willing to give us the benefit of the doubt and risk repeating such a nightmare? Re: Ukraine. Sevastopol is Russia's only warm-water port, which they had been leasing from Ukraine. It's a vital part of their national security strategy. Given the possibility of Ukraine slipping entirely into NATO/the EU, could they really risk hoping to maintain their base lease with a government totally hostile to them possibly in power? No. So they snatched up the whole peninsula, and with virtually-no casualties (theirs OR Ukrainian) in the process. The insurgency in the separatist eastern states is meant to a) keep some semblance of a buffer between Russia's official land border and the obviously-less-than-friendly NATO military alliance b) keep Ukraine as a whole unstable enough to make full NATO/EU integration unlikely, and a forward-deployment of NATO troops in the east even less so. It's entirely reactionary to the US's attempt to move Ukraine out of Russia's orbit (here's where Nuland affirms her quote about $5 billion spent in Ukraine "to promote democracy": http://iipdigital.usembassy.go... and here is her caught on tape playing kingmaker after the Maidan riots: https://youtu.be/r5n8UbJ8jsk ).

Russia was content with the status quo vis-a-vis Ukraine, for the most part. How would the US react if China quietly funded NGOs to "promote Communism" in Mexico, culminating in the Mexican government being overthrown and replaced with a single-party Communist state? How would the US react if the Chinese built anti-ballistic missiles in *Canada* to "protect against rogue Iranian warheads" (Note: this is the actual BS argument the US gav

Ask them what their official job title is - I can guarantee you that it is not Software Developer. http://canada.usembassy.gov/vi...

No. Never.

I'm an Australian who has lived in a few countries and currently live in the US on a visa. I'd like to get my greencard, BUT NEVER CITIZENSHIP. The tax headache alone is NOT WORTH IT.

If the IRS ever changes its laws on citizens, then maybe, but that is not currently the case.

Green card holders also fall under FATCA and so are also fucked.
http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/se...

here's a usa statement (they got some satellites and other systems that help with gathering information) :
http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/statements/asmt-07192014.html
the careful wording in the world of diplomacy means "oh stop fucking around, it's 100% clear who did it".

At the time that flight MH17 dropped out of contact, we detected a surface-to-air missile (SAM) launch from a separatist-controlled area in southeastern Ukraine.

also, the terrorists are sent and controlled by russia. if that indeed was not them... you can be sure as hell they would allow any and all inspections, completely secure the area to prevent any tampering, get all blackboxes and deliver them to international experts. because it would be juuuust perfect for them.
they did the opposite.

No country is on that list. They USA will never and has never extradited a person to another country.

Good thing you're an Anonymous Coward, because you're not even close to reality. According to US Embassy based in London:

During the same time period, the UK submitted 54 extradition REQUESTS to the US, of which none have been refused. Of those 54 requests, 38 resulted in extradition of an individual from the U.S. to the UK. In the remaining 16 cases, the individuals either returned to the UK on their own or other circumstances made extradition from the U.S. to the UK no longer necessary.

I don't see the point, it's not like we're ever allowed to extradite Americans to the UK.

Yes, I'm being facetious, and you can argue that the (according to the US embassy in London) the US haven't refused a single extradition request to the UK's 10 refusals, and they do seem to say that the treaty is fair, but a UK MP says that there is a 7:1 disparity in US:UK extraditions. Which to me suggest that either UK citizens are far more likely to break US laws than their own, or that the required proof required for extradition requests is different between the two countries.

The other difference is:

Home office statistics reveal that since the start of 2004, not one single US citizen has been extradited to the UK for crimes alleged to have been committed on US soil. The traffic is very much one way, however.

Don't take this as a criticism of Americans, it just shows how our politicians will sell us off for a few favours.

The US does not have any stations in Russia

Of course they do, they are called consulates & embassies.

Aside from Moscow, looks like St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg:

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consulates.html

All US Embassy ban all civilians from bringing in consumer electronic devices.
From: http://london.usembassy.gov/ukembmap.html
"PLEASE DO NOT bring Electronic devices such as mobile phones, Blackberries, iPods, iPads, notebook computers, PDAs, headsets, remote-entry automobile key "fobs" or anything with a power plug or battery, as they are not allowed within the Embassy grounds."

http://france.usembassy.gov/americancemeteries.html
There's quite a few dead US soldiers buried in France. If you are able, you should volunteer to help maintain a cemetery or two.

You can find the quote here: http://iran.usembassy.gov/education.html

I find that link name a little humorous in that the US has not had an embassy in Iran since some, ahem, "unpleasantness" in the late 1970s. But we do need to keep accepting and educating them because it benefits big business (US universities) and anything that benefits big business can't be bad? Right?

Answer to 2) is in TFM#1:

Iran has been pursuing a kind of uranium enrichment called SILEX which uses carbon dioxide lasers, the same kind of lasers that Kokabee was using in his graduate studies.

Answer to 1) took a few more Google cycles:

Did you know that thousands of Iranian students study in the United States each year? In fact, for the past several years, the number of Iranian students studying in American colleges and universities has steadily grown such that Iran is now 22nd among the top 25 places of origin for international students.

And, in recent months, President Obama and Secretary Clinton have announced big steps forward in promoting exchange and opportunity with the Iranian people. As Secretary Clinton announced in May 2011, (http://www.youtube.com/), new visa regulations now allow Iranian students to receive two-year, multiple entry visas. This gives young Iranians the opportunity to return home for family events, to participate in internships, to travel outside the United Statesâ"and they wonâ(TM)t need to get a new visa every time.

You can find the quote here:
http://iran.usembassy.gov/education.html

I got stopped because I have dual citizenship and the guy couldn't stop saying "We don't recognize dual citizenship here".

Some guys need to be locked in a room whose only other contents are certain documents and not let out until they truly understand those documents.

Not as easy to get a green card as you'd think. I know a couples who have transferred south husband was in embedded programming and the wife (a professional radiologist in Canada was unable to get a green card to work at all, never mind in her field, in the states for several years) -- they didn't expect it would be that tough.

Well, your radiologist friend isn't that bright.

Canadians are eligible for NAFTA or TN visas: http://canada.usembassy.gov/visas/doing-business-in-america/professions-covered-by-nafta.html

Many, many professions are eligible, including physicians. Unlike many other types of US visas, TN visas are renewable, and issued on demand provided that you have a job offer and aren't a criminal.

Other types of US visas require proof that no American can do the work, or require far more paperwork, waiting & hassle.

Well, the attacks WERE caused by Obama, since he ordered the Drone Strikes in June that caused this attack. No, it had NOTHING to do with any YouTube video: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2012/09/28/abc-reports-obama-administration-knew-terrorists-carried-out-libya-at And if you believe it was in response to the YouTube video, as CNN tells you, then why do all the news companies ALSO keep saying they attacked a US EMbassy in Benghazi? THERE NEVER WAS A US EMBASSY IN BENGHAZI! Our only Consulate in all of Libya is in Tripoli: http://libya.usembassy.gov/ Now they are calling it a "US Mission" that they attacked. Translation = Safe House = CIA. Watch some REAL news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nPf0waX2HI

Well, there DEFINITELY is some form of coverup here, because the US HAS NO EMBASSY IN BENGAZI. The only Embassy or Consulate the US has in Libya is in Tripoli. http://libya.usembassy.gov/ The Government even stated that they knew this attack had NOTHING to do with any YouTube Video, but it was "blowback" for US Drone Strikes, and was carried out by Al-Qaeda (actually an affiliate group called Ansar al-Sharia). http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2012/09/28/abc-reports-obama-administration-knew-terrorists-carried-out-libya-at So it sounds like Beck is speaking more truth than any other news/media company. Except, of course, for Ben Swann: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nPf0waX2HI

If it is, I'm certain the Chinese will be happy to know. Especially the next time we shelter one of their dissidents at our embassy.

U.S. embassies do not offer asylum, according this dissidents have to actually get into the U.S. before asylum can be applied:

The United States does not grant asylum in its diplomatic premises abroad. Under U.S. law, the United States grants asylum only to aliens who are physically present in the United States.

Any Extradition from NZ will be under the terms of the Extradition Treaty and won't be for DMCA violations, but for other charges - such as the Money Laundering and so on which is indeed covered by the Treaty.

Some interesting reads:

Provision Warrants: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1999/0055/latest/DLM26216.html
Extradition Offenses http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1999/0055/latest/DLM25681.html#DLM25681
How Extradition Request must be made http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1999/0055/latest/DLM26211.html?search=ts_act_extradition_resel&p=1#DLM26211
Minister may request warrant http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1999/0055/latest/DLM26215.html?search=ts_act_extradition_resel&p=1
The Extradition Treaty Itself http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/o16y8MOyHW2l-jJTxaMpeQ/ExtraditionUSNZ.pdf

It works both ways.

Fact Sheet on the U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty

The numbers do not demonstrate imbalance:

The United States has not denied a single extradition request from the UK under the treaty. While the U.S. does send more extradition requests to the UK than it receives, this difference is largely due to the differences in the size of the respective populations. The panel report notes that the U.S. has a population about five times the size of the UK, but there have been fewer than twice the number of people extradited to the U.S. than to the UK. The number of U.S. requests is not disproportionate.

The standards are the same in practice:

All extradition requests between the U.S. and UK must meet the same evidentiary standard: probable cause. All requests from the U.S. must meet the standard of “reasonable suspicion” required under UK law. However, all requests from the U.S. must also be based on a charging document that meets the “probable cause” standard required under U.S. law. This is the same standard that the U.S. requires of extradition requests from the UK The panel reviewed the evidence and concluded: “There is no practical difference between the information submitted to and from the United States.”

Independent review of the United Kingdom's extradition arrangements

From http://iran.usembassy.gov/

"In democracies, respecting rights isn't a choice leaders make day-by-day, it is the reason they govern."

"When a government hides its work from public view, hands out jobs and money to political cronies, administers unequal justice, looks away as corrupt bureaucrats and businessmen enrich themselves at the people's expense, that government is failing its citizens," stated U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the opening of the multi-country Open Government Partnership (OGP) Forum last week.

-- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

I would argue that the U.S. has already failed its citizens.

Before judging blindly, have the decency to look at the website : http://iran.usembassy.gov/

There seems to be some strange reflex that everything the US does, must be for some evil agenda.
I'm European , so i recognize the tone. However, our own leaders are just as bad ( if not worse ).

Not to mention that the "allowed level" they are basing it on is not relevant in this type of situation. They are basing it off of the standards for drinking water absent any nuclear leak (i.e. drinking water that you would be drinking for your entire life) and as such, the limit is about 0.1 becquerels per liter (incredibly small). You can see this information in question 3 of this Q&A http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110324-73.html

The most comprehensive sanction, called the Syria Accountability Act (SAA) of 2004, prohibits the export of most goods containing more than 10% U.S.-manufactured component parts to Syria.

Growing up in Australia... [snip] The USA wasn't an option due to your ridiculous Green Card Lottery.

Just FYI: As an Aussie it might interest you to know that the Green Card lottery is very much optional for us. We have access to the special E-3 Visa. A special visa just for Aussies to work in the USA in jobs that require a degree. Moderate amounts of hoop jumping are still required, but it's nothing like Green Card lotteries.

It was for an I-130 VISA for my wife. And that site is directly linked from the Embassy website. As I stated above that is for VISA services, not general American Citizen Services. To my knowledge it isn't for translation services though perhaps that may be covered under it. It is for any question you have related to VISAs.

Check this page: http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-ivspouse.html in the gray "Contact Us" box on the left or this page: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-nivcontact.html about half way down under "Email Inquiry Service"

It was for an I-130 VISA for my wife. And that site is directly linked from the Embassy website. As I stated above that is for VISA services, not general American Citizen Services. To my knowledge it isn't for translation services though perhaps that may be covered under it. It is for any question you have related to VISAs.

Check this page: http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-ivspouse.html in the gray "Contact Us" box on the left or this page: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-nivcontact.html about half way down under "Email Inquiry Service"

I'm confused, you are a US citizen trying to get a visa? The only visas that US citizens mess with is filing K1 and the like. Otherwise, I can't think of why you'd be asking them about visas. And, from my experience, getting a lawyer is by far the best way to handle a K1 or other family visa, as you mess up one step, and you are back at square one (or worse). I know a good immigration attorney in Alaska, if you need a reference.

But from looking at the Japan site http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/ I didn't see any links to that site. On a net search, I found references where it just replaces using the phone to make an appointment. And I saw nothing that indicated you couldn't just make an appointment by calling the main switchboard for free. I'm not saying that it isn't the case, but that it appears to be not much different than where I am, and as I said earlier, I was just at a different consulate yesterday with a walk-up and was serviced quickly and without an appointment for the fee that was plainly stated on the embassy web site.

http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/info/tinfo-contact.html for contact, use phone, fax or letters and they will respond, as per http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/info/tinfo-email.html. I saw no reference to paying to email, other than the service you stated which I couldn't find referenced directly on the .gov site. Is that a real government site, or is it a private partner that translates emails to phone calls for a fee? I did see a direct reference to it from other embassy sites, so it is certainly sanctioned by the gvt if not run by them.

What happens if you call the switchboard? What happens if you call and they won't answer, but you ask for an appointment to speak in person with someone? They did sound like they'd give you the kiss-off over general visa questions as they state everything you need to know is already on the web site.

I'm confused, you are a US citizen trying to get a visa? The only visas that US citizens mess with is filing K1 and the like. Otherwise, I can't think of why you'd be asking them about visas. And, from my experience, getting a lawyer is by far the best way to handle a K1 or other family visa, as you mess up one step, and you are back at square one (or worse). I know a good immigration attorney in Alaska, if you need a reference.

But from looking at the Japan site http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/ I didn't see any links to that site. On a net search, I found references where it just replaces using the phone to make an appointment. And I saw nothing that indicated you couldn't just make an appointment by calling the main switchboard for free. I'm not saying that it isn't the case, but that it appears to be not much different than where I am, and as I said earlier, I was just at a different consulate yesterday with a walk-up and was serviced quickly and without an appointment for the fee that was plainly stated on the embassy web site.

http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/info/tinfo-contact.html for contact, use phone, fax or letters and they will respond, as per http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/info/tinfo-email.html. I saw no reference to paying to email, other than the service you stated which I couldn't find referenced directly on the .gov site. Is that a real government site, or is it a private partner that translates emails to phone calls for a fee? I did see a direct reference to it from other embassy sites, so it is certainly sanctioned by the gvt if not run by them.

What happens if you call the switchboard? What happens if you call and they won't answer, but you ask for an appointment to speak in person with someone? They did sound like they'd give you the kiss-off over general visa questions as they state everything you need to know is already on the web site.

Oh, and for a copy of the speech, you can get it here.

Let's see what we can find out.

We have an IP address for the server hosting the phony pages: "[217.20.175.74]". This is in DNS as "sweeper.globmail.org",

eNom, a favored registrar of bottom-feeders, is the registrar.

There's an address in Kiev, but it's bogus.

WhiteDomainsOrg
Reiterska 13
Kiev Kiev
01001
UA
Phone:+380.5490567

That's a bar in Kiev, Dveri (Door). It's about two blocks from the old US Consulate.

The upstream provider is "ge0.colo0.kv.wnet.ua". So this is a colocated machine at WNet in Ukraine.

The US FBI has a local office in Kiev.

This is something that could be cracked by motivated law enforcement.

Ok, so these reports are available for purchase here. We should not have to purchase them, obviously. Also, it looks the the US-Italian embassy is leaking the crap out of them. z0mg!

I was horrified when I went to Japan recently and had to let them take my fingerprints and a picture. I was even more horrified when I complained to my Japanese friends and they let me know that America has the same practice.

You have your friendly neighborhood DHS to thank for that one: http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/info/tinfo-customs.html

Well, I completely agree with oliderid. I have no plans to go to USA again. since I'm from South America, I have to apply for a tourist Visa, and that takes about 2 months, including a personal interview, plus USD$145, plus another tax when you enter to USA. Plus, you have to prepared to be freely humiliated by the guards at the entrance. I've been 3 times in USA, all of them before 09/11. You can check "How to apply to a Visa" here: http://santiago.usembassy.gov/OpenDocs/asp/pagDefault.asp?boton=Doc28&argInstanciaId=28&argCarpetaId=690&argTreeNodosAbiertos=(690)(688)&argTreeNodoActual=690&argTreeNodoSel=690&argRegistroId=3613 On the other hand, I have a scientist visa (like a working visa) in Germany, and all the paperwork took me less than 3 weeks. Seriously, if I can choose, I will not go to USA again.

Are you senile or just drunk? Please be informed the U.S.
provides money TO the P.L.O.

Your ignorance is why you need Joe The Plubmer.

Cordially,
Kilgore Trout

Has the US ever had a case of CJD in humans? According to the US embassy in Seoul, they haven't, so the risk must be extremely low as long as the level of BSE in US cattle is low enough to remain undetected by the standard USDA testing.

Sorry, but you need to parse it like this:

"Have you ever been refused admission to the U.S., or been the subject of a deportation hearing or (sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the U.S., or any other U.S. immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation or other unlawful means) ?"

Yes, this means that if you've ever been refused admission to the U.S., for whatever reason, then you will need to go and try to get a visa each and every time you travel over there.

Here's an explanation:

http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/who_must_apply.html

So before you act all indignant-like better double-check the actions of your representatives.

I can't verify it now (damn firewall!), but I'm pretty sure this is the video explaining how to get Canadian legislation passed...

I'm sure if I flew over to Germany they'd be all cool with me [a non-citizen/resident] just taking up any old job.

He wasn't "taking up any old job" he was simply doing training for a conference. Under the right circumstances, he needs no visa to do that, but the right circumstances require just the right wording on paper.

And for what it's worth, if you flew over to Germany you could do the same--be sent over for business purposes--for 90 days, without a visa.

To have the fact that I was arrested used against me in any way is just plain wrong.

Amen. For those who think this is just an inconvenience, let me just point out that you're no longer allowed to visit the US anymore without having to:

* ring up the US embassy (on their hideously expensive premium-rate line)
* stay on hold for up to hours to get an appointment
* travel to London and queue up for hours for your appointment
* suffer an interview to get a visa, attempting to explain away your arrest
* pay a fortune for the visa

See the US embassy website
"Important: Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction,"

I don't think that USAnians realise how horribly their goverment treat even tourist visitors who've been arrested at anytime (regardless of any charge being bought, let alone a conviction).

Look closely at Vietnam. Though it is still an authoritarian society, the Vietnamese have made significant strides towards democracy and human rights. We rarely hear of pompous national goals like "First Vietnamese in Space" from Hanoi. The Vietnamese focus on things that matter: economy and social liberalization (e.g., human rights). In fact, "The Economist" reports that the strongest voices of support for democracy is coming from the membership of the Vietnamese Communist Party.

The Chinese focus on pompous national goals (e.g., space weapons and the like), but the Vietnamese focus on the things that matter to the common people. Note that the Vietnamese are specifically not developing nuclear weapons while Beijing is spending huge sums on aggressively developing nuclear-tipped missiles.

With the new national technology program, the Chinese may create the most advanced robot in the world, but their society will be socially impoverished. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese create a liberal democracy.

15 years from now, in which society -- China or Vietnam -- would you prefer to live? Another bowl of Pho please!

Does anyone think, for just a millisecond, that the USA would do the same? Extradite one of its own citizen to be tried in the UK?

You mean like this US citizen, who was extradited to South Korea to answer murder charges, where they have the death penalty? http://seoul.usembassy.gov/december_24_2002.html

That took 5 seconds of googling to find, FYI.

How come a sovereign country, like the UK, is extraditing one of its own citizen -- regardless of his crimes -- to another country to be tried there?

It is not regardless of his crimes but because of them, and extraditing people for committing crimes not on foreign soil has been done for centuries. Otherwise, we'd end up with people committing crimes and then hopping the next plane back to their home country.

If you're going to hop on a plane and travel elsewhere, it is your personal responsibility to make sure you adhere to local laws (just like as a citizen who lives in MA, if I go to NJ, I have to abide by NJ laws- and if I break a NJ law, NJ has the right to request I be extradited to appear in NJ to answer criminal charges- or arrest me if they find me on NJ soil.) Most governments prepare guides to visiting a particular country, with regards to respecting customs/manners, any safety concerns- but also things to watch out for that could get you into a lot of trouble.

Similarly, if you're going to go hacking into government computers as a foreign country with which your home country has friendly diplomatic relations, you should not be in the least bit surprised if you find your ass on a plane in handcuffs to appear in your own defense at a criminal trial.

I also find it really hysterical to hear a UK citizen get uptight about one's rights, considering you're the most "surveilled" people in the world...

I shouldn't feed the trolls but...

The number of Canadians within 100 miles of the US border is only 75%:

http://canada.usembassy.gov/content/can_usa/didyou know.pdf

So that means that while there are ~25 million of us spread out across this strip (btw its cause it's warmer not because we love you so much), the remaining 8 million are spread out across northern Alberta, PEI, Newfoundland and the arctic.

Canada and US have similar Rural/Urban percentages so why is the US behind - its a fair question.

75% of all Canadians live within 100 miles of the US. US Embassy brochure here. Even with the border close, our wonderful gov't (DHS) is making it much more cumbersome to cross. Plus with the cost of fuel, I'm sure most Canucks will just suck it up and pay the Mafia Tax if its passed. I hope they rally together to stop this madness.

• 15 USC 7701, the CAN-SPAM act.
• 47 USC 1030, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

The FBI has an office in Moscow. And smaller offices in most of the capitals of the former Soviet sphere, including Bucharest, Kiev, Prague, and Tbilisi. They have to work through the local authorities, which they routinely do, with moderate success.

In case anyone was curious about how a court in Brazil would go about asking for production of US documents in a criminal case, here is your answer. This treaty entered into force on February 21, 2001.

Does the US ever ship anyone overseas for trial ?

Yes. http://seoul.usembassy.gov/december_24_2002.html

Funding terrorist groups was the norm all in the name of fighting the cold war.

Rest assured that we aren't still involved with any alliances of convenience with any crazy motherfuckers that will come back and bite us.

http://turkmenistan.usembassy.gov/

Unable to navigate and/or enter data for a visa to the U.S. from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo site with FireFox on Mac and Konqueror on FreeBSD, I printed out the hand written form (which the State Department says to do if the site doesn't work) and brought that in to the embassy. (To enter an appointment required turning off JavaScript after viewing the calendar of available days since Microsoft's JScript screws up Date.getYear() and the site creators don't know that!)

Anyway, once arriving at the embassy with everything, I was given the below paper and told to make another appointment:

For all Non-Imigrant Visa Applicants

All Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants require Bar-coded EVAF (Electronic Visa Application Form) DS-156 application form when they apply. If you do not have a bar-coded form, please use a computer at your home, internet cafe etc. and resubmit. We will be unable to accept the non-barcode form. (http://japan.usembassy.gov) If you cannot come back until ___ o'clock, please make another appointment and come to the Embassy on the new appointment date. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

(Bold is theirs.)

Am I the only one to find this official advise to use Internet cafes to enter my personal information for a visa application a bit scary?

With a combination of looking at page source code to get to next pages, and enabling and disabling JavaScript, I was finally able to get their EVAF barcode. (I found it interesting that Konqueror can handle VBScript - treating it like JavaScript, which it looked like.) So with just a little bit of effort, this whole process can be made cross-browser friendly. Why won't the State Department do that? And stop recommending using Internet cafes to enter personal information?