And really we could all just die of shame.

Although I would love to, I have no plans to even attempt to visit the US in the foreseeable future, not even for the sake of Wikimania.

• Welcome to America: "As it turned out, I was to spend 26 hours in detention. My crime: I had flown in earlier that day to research an innocuous freelance assignment for the Guardian, but did not have a journalist's visa."

• It's torture getting into America: "When even the staunchly pro- American Sunday Times suggests alternatives to visiting the US, fuelled by complaints from bewildered Middle England, alarm bells should start ringing."

• They shall not pass: "After officials checked his ID he was asked if he was opposed to the 'ideology of the United States' (sorry — the what?) while his car was searched."

• Trouble and cost of visas halts Hallé's US tour: "But managers said yesterday they had cancelled the tour when they realised that the cost of arranging the visas, estimated at £45,000, would render the trip uneconomic."

Americans regularly react with incredulity when I mention the first case to them, like I'm shitting 'em. Now I can just point them to this post.

(Posted for gothgeekgirl. All these are from the Guardian because I was searching for the first one and found the other three.)

And then the railroad, the railroad takes him home.

It looks like Grant McLennan has died. (courtesy dreambabydream.) No further details as yet.