Excuses, excuses...

[devilchicken]

Sadly I don't think I'm going to be able to make a contribution to this first issue. The desire is strong, but the flesh is weak and the time is non-existent.

The month has run away from me and is now starting to look frighteningly bus. Not only am I starting a new job - but my wife and I got 'the' letter we'd been waiting for from US Immigration. So lots of paperwork to go through and square away before we get interrogated on the 27th.

I work kinda slow (actually very slow) so I guess I'll have to work on my piece for consideration for the next edition.

[A_Non_Ymous]

Contribute something when you're able. Even a small set of verses would be better than nothing.

LSN

[L'Etranger]

Re: Excuses, excuses...

Sadly I don't think I'm going to be able to make a contribution to this first issue. The desire is strong, but the flesh is weak and the time is non-existent.

The month has run away from me and is now starting to look frighteningly bus. Not only am I starting a new job - but my wife and I got 'the' letter we'd been waiting for from US Immigration. So lots of paperwork to go through and square away before we get interrogated on the 27th.

I work kinda slow (actually very slow) so I guess I'll have to work on my piece for consideration for the next edition.

Wouldn't it make things a lot easier if you just returned the blooming letter? Are you sure you want all this? Hasn't this forum put some sense in to your mind?
But GOOD LUCK in any case!

(Better not to answer this one, Immigration (or someone who can read there) might be eavesdropping ...!

[devilchicken]

Wouldn't it make things a lot easier if you just returned the blooming letter? Are you sure you want all this? Hasn't this forum put some sense in to your mind? Wink
But GOOD LUCK in any case!

(Better not to answer this one, Immigration (or someone who can read there) might be eavesdropping ...!

If you've ever seen the movie 'Greencard', you'll know what I can expect. Intense personal questioning about mine and my wife's habits. Add to that the paperwork has to be in 'exact' order, anything missing or not quite right and it can cause a delay. Plus they can cancel my work authorisation which would screw up my new job. Nice eh?

I think Immigration are the closest thing the US has to a Gestapo style secret police - everyone's afraid of them but they're career bureaucrats at heart. The worst monster of all...

[devilchicken]

Contribute something when you're able. Even a small set of verses would be better than nothing.

Poetry isn't really my bag - or more specifically I haven't done much of it since I left school.

I'm more into prose fiction - I had a couple ideas for short stories all mapped, but it just comes down to the time of actually doing the work. Writing is actually stress relieving, so perhaps I should be working it into my life about now :D

[Doc]

Good luck with your interview. My most memorable interview with the federal government was when I served as a character reference for a friend who was applying for top secret clearance. The guy who interviewed my was the most frightenly humorless person I've ever met, and the vacant look in his eyes still creeps me out.

Of course immigration officials should be a little better...

[mordenkainen]

should they?

[Whiskers]

Wouldn't it make things a lot easier if you just returned the blooming letter? Are you sure you want all this? Hasn't this forum put some sense in to your mind? Wink
But GOOD LUCK in any case!

(Better not to answer this one, Immigration (or someone who can read there) might be eavesdropping ...!

If you've ever seen the movie 'Greencard', you'll know what I can expect. Intense personal questioning about mine and my wife's habits. Add to that the paperwork has to be in 'exact' order, anything missing or not quite right and it can cause a delay. Plus they can cancel my work authorisation which would screw up my new job. Nice eh?

I think Immigration are the closest thing the US has to a Gestapo style secret police - everyone's afraid of them but they're career bureaucrats at heart. The worst monster of all...

Greencard's interview is not an accurate representation in my experience. That was 15 years ago and things may have changed. Hint: take passports with you.

[xidrep]

Fear not, Devilchicken! PX2 (+) is open and waiting...don't bust a gut!

L'Etranger, have you turned into an Aye-Aye???

[L'Etranger]

Yes, strange fate, but helpful at night, Perdix. Of course, YOU would know what it is amnd Bristol Zoo isn't too far from your town, isn't it?
Couldn't resist using the picture.

[mordenkainen]

Interesting choice!
In Madagascar meeting an aye-aye is a bad omen - you can ward it off by killing the poor thing :(
It's become almost impossible to see one in its natural habitat....

[L'Etranger]

The entire picture as found on BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...59_aya_aye.jpg



If it weren't BBC I'd have taken it for something fabricated!

[A_Non_Ymous]

Interesting choice!
In Madagascar meeting an aye-aye is a bad omen - you can ward it off by killing the poor thing :(
It's become almost impossible to see one in its natural habitat....

As I recall, mordenkainen, you lived at one time on La Rأ©union. That's not all that far from Madagascar. Ever see one of these little beasts on a visit?

Gazing at the photograph that L'Etranger so kindly provided, I was reminded of some of the engineers I've worked with over the years. I feel I finally know their genus and species.

LSN

[mordenkainen]

As I recall, mordenkainen, you lived at on time on La Rأ©union. That's not all that far from Madagascar. Ever see one of these little beasts on a visit?

yup. ina zoo.

[devilchicken]

Greencard's interview is not an accurate representation in my experience. That was 15 years ago and things may have changed. Hint: take passports with you.

Well that was sort of an exaggeration - in reality I think the interview should be fairly straightforward, so long as all the paperwork is accounted for.

They do ask some personal questions - how in depth they go is determined by the 'impression' the interviewing officer has of the couple in question. The interview letter I got states that the interview is videotaped - basically anything you say can and will be used against you at a later date...

Unfortunately they didn't do us the courtesy of giving us a decent interview time - so my wife and I have to be in downtown LA by 6:30am - when the crazies are still out....