================================================= Expat Worlds Bi-Monthly Digest ================================================= 13 May, 2005 Vol. 7, Issue 08 .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== THE STORY =================== -=The Knowledge Box=- ==== OTHER EZINES ================ ==== EW SPECIAL ================== -=Need a Second Nationality/Passport?=- ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... == -=Trivia=- -=News Story=- -=Jokes=- ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============= -=WinGuard Pro 2005=- ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD == -=Table of Content=- ==== THE STORY ================================== THE KNOWLEDGE BOX (Part 1) There is, so the politicians say, a special relationship between the UK and the USA. Expat World also has a special relationship with these two countries since many of our subscribers inhabit these two nations. Below are some questions that have been asked of us and the replies from people on the spot or have had experiences solving the questions asked. Even though you may not be of US or UK extraction these questions and answers should provide useful to you. Read and enjoy, Editor Expat World Money Transfer: Hi all, moving very soon to Sunny California, I sold my house and made some "small" profit and trying to find the cheapest and safest way to e-transfer my money to US? Any tips please :-) Many Thanks REPLY: You should use a commercial money exchanger to transfer the funds. You will get better rates than high street banks Marriage to American Citizen: In a nutshell, I am from the UK but want to marry my American girlfriend. I am in the US at the moment and legally allowed to stay until September. I have looked at the American Embassy and government websites but I'm a little unsure of the process involved and what we need to do. Does anyone have any good advice on this ? PEPLY: The easy way -- Get a blood test, get a marriage license, and marry her. Once you're married to an American citizen, you're in. You can then apply for an Immediate Relative visa, which entitles you to permanent residence and work eligibility status. It takes a decent immigration lawyer to push you through the line, but it's a routine procedure with one. Just make sure you know enough about your wife's family (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc) to satisfy the INS that you are marrying someone you love and not someone you're paying to do this to get the visa. UK University Fees: Does anyone know what is the status of a UK (EU) citizen resident abroad who wants to study at a UK university. Are they treated as a foreigner. The reason I ask is that EU citizens, from say Bulgaria, can attend UK universities for a pittance. REPLY: Unfortunately there are a great many of us in the same boat. UCAS application form gives all the information and it would appear much easier for a person applying for political asylum to gain a UK University place than a citizen of the UK who has resided outside for over three years. Also, British citizens who come into the 'international student' status are not eligible for students grants & loans. Very unfair but the education system has been turned into a business in much the same way as the US operates. How long is the Backlog at the INS Regarding Change of Address? REPLY 1: I submitted my address change and green card renewal in January to the Seattle Office and received the new card 90 days later from Nevada. (Yes it's green not pink and doesn't mention aliens!) REPLY 2: I changed my address via phone from West Palm Beach, FL while I was trying to obtain info on renewing my Green Card. It was a painless process. However, my application for Citizenship can take up anywhere up to 999 days according to the automated message. REPLY 3: If a delay in getting a change of address done is a real problem, try enlisting the help of local officials. My Senator was very helpful with getting my Green Card processed after the INS misdirected/lost two applications, including one that I hand delivered. REPLY 4: I can not answer the question as the INS will not speculate for the Atlanta office. Can tell you replacement Green Card is $180 and currently 260 days....and American citizenship 450 days. Makes the UK Post Office seem positively rocket like !!! REPLY 5: I have never managed to get the Laguna Niguel INS (there are several processing offices) to successfully process the change of address form. I would advise buying the post office's extended mail forwarding service for your old address. For example, they mailed my original green card to an address from 5 years ago. The only way I could get them to send a replacement to my correct address was to pay for a new green card and put the new address on the "replacement green card application form". Shipping a Car to the USA: I have bought a Riley 1952 in UK and want to move it to Boston, can anyone suggest customs formalities and a mover? REPLY 1: We specialise in classic car shipping and would be only too happy to quote for you . Please Google "classic car shipping to USA from UK" and you will find our web site. REPLY 2: Just to clarify, your 1952 Riley, being more than 25 years old, can be registered & remain in the USA indefinitely. Cars less than 25 years old may only be registered in the USA if they comply with American EPA & DoT specs. My Smart does not, hence its limited permission to be here. After being told by several (American) shippers that shipping a car to the US was most unwise & very costly (US Customs Bond), I went ahead anyway & it proved painless. I used www.phoenix-cargo.com after a personal recommendation, Emma there was fantastic & put my worries at ease. On arrival I used a "Customs Agent" who explained everything, did all the paperwork, & took me through US Customs, for a well spent $125. No Customs Bond was sought by US Customs, & my car, a Smart Crossblade, is allowed to remain in the USA for 12 months. Dual Nationality: I am a UK citizen living in the US - I became a US citizen last year. I must use my US passport to exit the US - but can I enter the UK using my UK passport? REPLY 1: I am in the same situation, when I went to the UK last year for the first time as a US citizen I did exactly what everyone has suggested, you leave the US on your US passport, use the UK one to go in and out of the UK and use the US one to enter the US without feeling like a criminal - it was very easy !! - but have your US passport handy when you go into the UK - they might want to see it - just to clarify your situation. Carol REPLY 2: After reading Carol's comment and comparing it to my experiences I did some digging at the State Department and found out the law on this has changed several times. What Linda says is correct. Here's a link to several web pages which clarify: http://www.richw.org/dualcit/law.html REPLY 3: You have to show your US passport at the check in counter as your leave the US on a roundtrip ticket to show you are eligible to return. When you arrive in UK you can use your UK passport. Use the US passport to return to the US. I have been doing this for years -- and I haven't been given a stamp on my passports for years, and no-one has asked about it. All the POE in the US wants to know is that you are able to enter legally. NOTE: Part 2 will be in next EW Digest issue. So stay tuned. ==== OTHER EZINES & BOOKS ======================== ASIAN TIMES ONLINE Asia most trusted source for news, business,commentary and analysis from throughout Asia and our world. (www.atimes.com). ----- SURVIVAL BOOKS Go to and check it out! ----- japan-guide.com Extensive, up to date online guide on Japan living and travel related information. http://www.japan-guide.com/ ==== EW SPECIAL ================================= NEED A SECOND NATIONALTY/PASSPORT? Expat World knows of a program that has been running for over 4 years now and has added many new citizens and passport holders. We have heard nothing but good reports about it. In our humble opinion, it is the best value for money today in securing a second pp/nationality that is in all the computer data bases and comes from a government source. IT has all the additional bells and whistles, is time-proven to be hassle free. It also has very good visa free entry to most of the world's countries. No matter what your reasons for seeking second citizenship, you won't find a better deal. The time it takes is about 3 weeks from the time application, photos and payment is in hand. Want to know more? Email: office@expatworld.net with pp/nat in the subject heading. Note: EW does not sell pps, we act only as the advertiser for companies working directly with gov authorities to provide what is on offer. ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... ================ NEWS STORIES Lawmakers object to fake penis for drug tests WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A life-like prosthetic penis called the Whizzinator and other products promising to help illegal drug users pass urine tests provoked U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday to take legal action with subpoenas of manufacturers. Lawmakers objected to attempts to circumvent drug tests with products such as The Whizzinator, a fake penis that can provide a flow of clean urine "again and again, anytime, anywhere you need it!" according to the Web site www.whizzinator.com. A congressional subcommittee voted to subpoena the owner of Puck Technology of Signal Hill, California, the company that makes the Whizzinator. The panel also voted to subpoena the owners of Health Choice of New York City and Spectrum Labs of Cincinnati, two companies that lawmakers said also were suspected of selling products aimed at circumventing workplace drug tests. The owners were required to provide financial and operational records by Monday and to appear at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. "These companies seek through deception to make a buck by violating our trust and compromising our security," said Rep. Ed Whitfield, a Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations panel. "It is a risk we simply cannot tolerate. This panel will uncover how widespread these products are and recommend the necessary steps to end their use," Whitfield said in a statement. Actor Tom Sizemore, who played a sergeant in the war movie "Saving Private Ryan," was caught using the Whizzinator to try and pass drug tests, California prosecutors said in February. He was put in jail after using a similar device and failing a drug test, prosecutors said. DRINKS TO FLUSH DRUGS The House committee is investigating whether federal legislation is needed to stop companies from making similar products, such as drinks that promise to flush out drug ingredients in urine. The company officials had previously declined to testify and provided little information, a committee statement said. Michael Fichera, owner of Health Choice, said he had told the committee he would cooperate with the investigation. "I don't think there's anything wrong with the products we're selling," Fichera said in an interview. "We do a service. I think it's way more positive than negative." He said users of his company's products, which include drinks and capsules, must be "clean" for two to three days before using them to pass a drug test. "We're not beating or cheating on drug tests. We are just accelerating the cleansing time," Fichera said. An official at Spectrum Labs did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the congressional action. A man who answered the phone at Puck Technology said no one was available to comment. --- Thailand crowns 'Ms Jumbo Queen' ONE month before Bangkok hosts the Miss Universe competition, Thailand has crowned a 110kg business student winner of a light-hearted, heavyweight pageant staged to promote elephant conservation. Tarnrarin Chansawang, 18, was crowned the eighth Miss Jumbo Queen after a contest in which 24 large-size women sang and danced to pop tunes and traditional Thai music. The annual event is an unlikely precursor to the international pageant May 30 in Bangkok, but the Jumbo Queen has become a strangely popular event in a country where most women strive to be skinny. More than 700 people attended the contest at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo, about an hour's drive west of Bangkok. In a nod to the upcoming Miss Universe pageant, a special Miss Jumbo Universe prize was awarded to the heaviest contestant - Thanchanok Mekkeaw, a 25-year-old political science who was weighed on-stage at 182kg. Women aged 18-35 are eligible to enter, as long as they weigh at least 80 kilos. Judges score the women not only on their performances and an interview, but on how well they exhibit the qualities of an elephant, something of a compliment in a country where the animals still have a respected role. Suphaphini Buanwongse, a 21-year-old who won the Miss Mahout title for best performance for a dance in which she mixed and served drinks for the judges, said she wanted to keep her 140kg. "I still want to be fat. I don't want to lose my weight," she said. Tarnrarin had only praise for the competition, after she tearily accepted the crown. "I feel I am also beautiful, whatever the figure, it's OK," she said after the pageant. "I'm happy with my body." "Slim or big, just have fun with your friends," she said, while admitting that she might try to lose weight once her reign is over. In addition to the 50,000-baht (1,250-dollar) cash prize, Tarnrarin becomes an elephant conservation ambassador, taking part in awareness campaigns to highlight the plight of Thailand's herds. Thailand's total elephant herd population is nearly 5000, with up to 2000 of them in the wild. Experts have warned that the wild population could be wiped out within 15 years if no action is taken. --- Is cannabis good for you? THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, protects mice against clogging of the arteries, according to Swiss research published in the British journal Nature. Adding THC to their diet slowed the growth of clogging in the arteries after about 11 months while addition of a chemical which blocked THC caused the arteries to continue narrowing rapidly. ----- Battle over Jesus driver's licence CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the rules for getting a driver's licence in West Virginia. Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. "This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love for Jesus Christ," attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. "Now he needs to document it for legal reasons." Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s, Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought property and has a U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's licence bearing the name Jesus Christ. But he still falls short of West Virginia title and licence transfer requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in Washington. "We just need official documentation that that's his name," said Doug Stump, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. "He will be treated no different than anybody else." Christ applied for the legal name change in May 2003, but it was denied by District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Tim Murphy because "taking the name of Jesus Christ may provoke a violent reaction or may significantly offend people." In his appeal, Christ's attorney argued that Phillips had changed his name to Jesus Christ 15 years earlier, and "has been using the name since then without incident." The appeals court last month sent the name-change proposal back to the lower court, saying some required hearings in the case had not been held. Any comment from the man in the middle of this legal tussle? "Christ is not speaking to the press at this time," Pishevar said. ----- Oxymoron: State Development ----- "Damn T.V.... Ruined my imagination and my ability to... ummm... ya... you know..." --Bart Simpson ----- "Programming is like sex: One mistake and you support it a lifetime." -- Paul S. Sears ----- On visting a seriously ill lawyer in the hospital, his friend found him sitting up in the bed, frantically leafing through the bible "What are you doing?" asked the friend. "Looking for loopholes," repied the lawyer. ----- This is a telephonic exchange between a hotel guest and roomservice at a hotel in Asia. It was recorded and published in the Far East Economic Review: Room Service: "Morny. Ruin sorbees." Guest : "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service." RS : "Rye. Ruin sorbees..morny! Djewish to odor sunteen??" Guest: "Uh..yes..I'd like some bacon and eggs." RS: "Ow July den?" G: "What??" RS: "Ow July den - fry, boy, pooch?" G: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled, please." RS: "Ow July dee bayhcem - crease?" G: "Crisp will be fine" RS: "Hokay. An San tos?" G: "What?" RS: "San tos. July San tos?" G: "I don't think so" RS: "No? Judo one toes??" G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo one toes' means." RS: "Toes! toes!..Why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow singlish mopping we bother?" G: "English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast. Fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine." RS: "We bother?" G: "No..just put the bother on the side." RS: "Wad?" G: "I mean butter - just put it on the side." RS: "Copy?" G: "Sorry?" RS: "Copy...tea...mill?" G: "Yes. Coffee please, and that's all." RS: "One Minnie. Ass ruin torino fee, strangle ache, crease baychem, tossy singlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy....rye??" G: "Whatever you say." RS: "Tendjewberrymud" G : "You're welcome" Have a good day ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============================ WINGUARD PRO 2005 With WinGuard Pro 2005 you can password protect your programs, windows and web pages in one easy to use program! What's more, there is also encrytption for your personal files and folders. It offers an all-in-one security solution for your computer. With extra features to lock the desktop, boot keys, task keys, blocking software installations and internet access. If you can click a mouse, you'll be able to secure your PC with WinGuard Pro 2005 in seconds. Get it at ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD =============== EXPAT WORLD NEWSLETTER (VOL.17 ISSUE 08) Table of Content: - PANAMA IS MORE THAN JUST A CANAL - RETIREMENT PROGRAM - THE KNOWLEDGE BOX - LETTER FROM AMERICA - TORTURE COVER UP IN GITMO AMERICA'S SHAME - A JAMES OR JANE BOND YOU COULD BE - THE OFFSHORE WORLD BY EXPAT WORLD - TO BE REDFLAGGED - THE NIGERIANS ARE UP TO IT AGAIN - AROUND THE SEXUAL WORLD WITH EXPAT WORLD - INTERNATIONAL SNIPS AND CLIPS - OPERATION "FOOL THE AMERICAN PUBLIC" - MORE ON THE NEW BOOK: "CODE NAMES" - CRAPPER RAPPER - PUSSY PHONE - WHAT IS FART GAS MADE OF? YOU MISSING SO MUCH Each week the EXPAT WORLD DIGEST gives you just a smattering of what you can find in the EXPAT WORLD newsletter that we produce once a month. Why not get the whole story and subscribe now to our electronic version for just US $30 per year. Go to our website: www.expatworld.net to sign up. ********************************************************************* EXPAT WORLD - the newsletter of international living URL - http://www.expatworld.net Email - office@expatworld.net ---------- End of Expat World Digest --------------------------------