I’m a statriotic Minnesotan but I’ve lived in the UK for 12 years and I’m going to become a dual citizen.

After living abroad for 12 years, I see America’s strengths and weaknesses more clearly, just as I see Britain’s strengths and weaknesses more clearly as an outsider.

Life here in Britain has its problems – the cost-of-living crisis and the general decline post-Brexit are real and serious – but here are some tremendous strengths – and endearing oddities, too.

STRENGTHS  

There is interesting history everywhere. When I was a kid in Minnesota , we went on a field trip to one of the oldest grand houses in the state, which was built in 1891. Since moving to the UK, I’ve lived in a cottage that was built in the 16th century – 1578, to be precise. It had no closets. The floor was slanted. It was lovely.

Cities/towns are much more walkable than in the US and there are tens of thousands of miles of walking paths, fanning out in every direction. It really is extraordinary. Where I live, there are several long-distance paths where you can walk out of your door and continue on the same path for hundreds of miles. If baseball and apple pie are America’s national pastimes, having tea after a countryside walk on Sundays seems to be a fair nominee for one of Britain’s most cherished rituals.

Most villages are utterly charming. There are several bleak industrial towns and cities, but most British villages are picturesque, complete with at least one pub, a church (often a very old one), old terraced houses, and nice walking paths crisscrossing it, often near some body of water. (If there is no body of water nearby, you are, of course, welcome to swim in your own bin.)

Healthcare is a guaranteed right and it’s free at the point of service. The NHS has issues, but every experience I’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive.

British political humour is hilarious. (If you haven’t seen The Thick of It, watch it.) Whenever the prime minister is getting elected, they have to stand, flanked by crazy people and joke candidates, such Lord Buckethead and Count Binface.

There is virtually zero risk of getting shot. (It’s also a myth that stabbings are more frequent in the UK compared to the US; there are more stabbings per capita in America.)

There is tremendous social capital and people are, for the most part, friendly, polite, and terrified of social awkwardness. (The mathematical definition of a limit approaching, but never reaching, zero is the final morsel of cheese at a British dinner party, which subdivides endlessly, until it is approximately one micron long and one micron wide, at which point it will be thrown away.)

You can travel most places in Europe in an hour or two, often for under $100 if you plan ahead. (I once took a morning Eurostar train from London to Brussels – it takes around two hours – gave a lunchtime talk at the European Union, had some Belgian beer and a little walk around, then returned home by 5pm.)

Pubs are wonderful institutions. Enough said.

The London Tube [subway] is fantastic. It’s clean, safe, and reliable. Most of the time, it’s so reliable that waiting anything beyond two or three minutes for a train in central London is deemed an annoyance.

Most places, there are very few annoying bugs (Scotland’s midges are a notable exception). You can just leave your doors and windows open without screens.

Almost everywhere is dog-friendly: bars, restaurants, bookstores, you name it.

THE ODDITIES

To turn the light on in many bathrooms, you need not find a light switch, but a little string hanging from the ceiling, which you pull. Nobody knows why.

To get warm in the winter, many people – yes, even in the 21st century – boil water and pour it into a red rubber bag, sometimes with a furry cover over it if you’re extra fancy. These ‘hot water bottles’ are staples of British homes.

Tiny country lanes that would be considered sidewalks in America are supposed to accommodate two normal-sized cars going at speed in opposite directions, often flanked by unforgiving hedges. When you encounter another car, one of you will reverse, sometimes a great distance, often over tree roots, into a tiny little ‘passing place’. (Both drivers are obligated, by British social law, to wave. The punishment for failing to comply is deep personal angst for days that they might have thought you were rude, which, to many British people, is worse than death).

What an American would called a kids’ size popcorn at a movie theatre (sorry, ‘cinema’) would be the largest size available in Britain.

The word ‘quite’ is often used to reduce intensity in British English rather than enhance it. In America, ‘quite’ always means ‘very’, whereas in Britain ‘quite nice’ often means ‘sort of nice’ instead of ‘extremely nice’. (I learned this the hard way three years into my time in the UK, when complimenting someone. I was told I had been inadvertently rude.)

In Britain, ‘middle class’ refers to well-off professionals such as doctors and lawyers, not the middle of the economic bell curve, as in America.

You can learn much more about a person by their accent. Accents can change even in the span of a few dozen miles. (When I first moved to the UK, I once went cycling in Wales, encountered someone on the top of a big mountain climb, and couldn’t understand a word he said. I told him I didn’t speak Welsh. It turns out he was speaking English, albeit with a Welsh valley accent. I’m sure he still tells that story about the American idiot he once met.) There is even a special accent associated with Eton, a school for posh boys. Whereas when I talk, I sound like a generic suburban Midwesterner and could conceivably be from an area with a 1,000-1,500-mile radius.

This article was originally published on Brian’s blog site – The Garden of Forking Paths.

Dr Brian Klaas is Associate Professor in Global Politics, University College London. For more from Brian visit brianpklaas.com. His book Corruptible: Who Gets Power And How It Changes Us is out now, available from Amazon.

I’m a statriotic Minnesotan, but after 12 years, the time has come: I’m going to become a dual citizen.

When I arrived at a bleak office building to take my ‘Life in the UK’ test – a necessary rite of passage before applying for citizenship – I was greeted not with a smile, but by being told to empty my pockets, stand spread-eagled, and await my ritualised once-over with a metal detector wand.

Once they had carefully checked both ears for hidden earpieces (I’m not kidding), I sat down to take the test.

Citizenship tests are a strange phenomenon, not because I object to them in principle, but because they force a country to arbitrarily decide what knowledge is necessary to be formally inducted into the nation.

But what’s most bizarre about them is that they often involve questions that native-born people couldn’t answer – a bit of a red flag.

One of the first questions I was asked: ‘What did Saint Augustine do after helping to spread Christianity to Britain?’ (The answer, which I got right: ‘Become the first Archbishop of Canterbury.’) Another question asked: ‘In Scotland, what’s the name of courts that deal with minor criminal offences?’ In England, these are known as Magistrates’ Courts, which I already knew, but it was only thanks to studying for the test that I got the answer right: ‘Justice of the Peace Courts.’

I have asked several native-born English people this question. So far, nobody has answered correctly.

Halfway through the test, I was reminded of the ongoing official role of the Church of England when I was asked to identify the day on which Jesus died. Kudos to those of you who know it’s Good Friday, though I’m not certain why that is necessary knowledge to be British. (Here’s a question that, for reasons unknown, wasn’t on the ‘Life in the UK’ test: Which two countries automatically give religious leaders seats in parliament? The answer: the UK and Iran).

Then, there was another issue: one of the practice questions for the test was factually wrong. It asked, ‘Which king first unified England?’ The answer they were looking for was Alfred the Great, but there’s a much stronger case to be made for Athelstan, Alfred’s grandson. (I decided it was unwise to bring this up at the test centre).

When I finished the test, a grouchy lady – I’d be grouchy in her shoes too, wanding people down with metal detectors and checking for earpieces in the world’s most lifeless office space – informed me that I had passed the test.

‘Did I get any wrong?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘The computer just tells me that you passed, which means you got at least 18 out of 24 right.’

This was the final ingenious flourish, to never let future citizens know the correct answers to questions about knowledge deemed essential for one’s ability to thrive in Britain.

Now, America’s immigration system is utterly broken, so I’m not in much of a place to critique Britain’s, but the British visa system is deliberately designed to be terrible.

Over 12 years, I’ll have spent roughly £13,000 ($16,500) on visas/visa appointments, which is crazy.

If you change the kind of visa you have, it resets the official clock on your path toward citizenship back to zero – ridiculous. And because of the scarcity of in-person appointments, I’ve done a bleak UK Grand Tour, taking trains to sterile offices in Croydon, Solihull, Sheffield, Maidstone, and Cardiff.

The experience of the ‘Life in the UK’ test is completely at odds with life in the UK.

After living abroad for 12 years, I see America’s strengths and weaknesses more clearly, just as I see Britain’s strengths and weaknesses more clearly as an outsider.

Life here in Britain has its problems – the cost of living crisis and the general decline post-Brexit are real and serious – but here are some tremendous strengths.   

Watch this space for Brian’s take on what’s great about Britain… 

This article was originally published on Brian’s blog site – The Garden of Forking Paths.

Dr Brian Klaas is Associate Professor in Global Politics, University College London. For more from Brian visit brianpklaas.com. His book Corruptible: Who Gets Power And How It Changes Us is out now, available from Amazon.

Drew Barrymore‘s suspected stalker Chad Michael Busto was released from prison after being arrested for trying to break into Emma Watson’s dressing room – as a hapless prosecutor said the celebrity prowler’s offense was not eligible to have bail set.  

Busto, 43, was arrested on Friday night after he tried to bust into Watson‘s dressing room during New York Fashion Week, but the alleged creeper is already out on supervised release.

The move comes less than a month after Busto was freed by a Southhampton judge after he was arrested and charged with fourth-degree after stalking actress Drew Barrymore. 

Busto turned up at the star’s Hamptons home on August 23, two days after confronting her at a live event at the 92nd Street Y. 

Busto, who failed to show for a fitting for his GPS monitor earlier this month now has an active warrant for his arrest, a Suffolk County representative confirmed with DailyMail.com.

Social media users have claimed Busto is known to target female celebrities including Amber Heard. Someone named ‘C. Michael Busto’ was booted from a Facebook fan group for the actress for ‘sexual harassment,’ ‘threats’ and ‘stalking,’ the Daily Beast reported.

Busto has a long criminal history, including an arrest in California, Georgia, Minnesota, Florida, and Wisconsin for disorderly conduct, trespassing and other crimes, according to Santa Monica Daily Press.

According to multiple police reports, Busto’s criminal record dates to June of 1999 and as recently as January of 2022. 

On August 21, Busto confronted Barrymore at an event at New York City’s 92nd Street Y during an interview with Reneé Rapp.

At the event, according to the New York Post, Busto shouted at Barrymore, ‘You know who I am! I need to see you at some point while you’re in New York!’

Busto was restrained from the stage by a guard on the premises as Rapp led Barrymore off the stage.

Two days later, he was taken into custody after he trespassed at the talk show host’s nearby luxury $6 million property in Sagaponeck.

Officials said he was seen scouring the Hamptons neighborhood looking for Barrymore’s home. The 48-year-old actress was not at the residence at the time he was apprehended, sources said. 

In an August 25 hearing at Southampton Town Justice Court, Judge Barbara Wilson released Busto – who was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree stalking in the incident – under the condition he be fitted with a GPS tracker.

In the hearing, Busto told the court he was bankrupt and looking to live at a shelter. He said he was due to appear at a September 3 hearing in Texas in a federal court. 

Fourth-degree stalking is not a bail-qualifying offense in New York.

On Friday night, Busto was arrested again after he went looking for British star, Emma Watson, 33, at one of the fashion shows during New York Fashion week, TMZ reported. 

Busto reportedly entered a room at the Brooklyn Navy Yard located at 63 Flushing Avenue around 7:40pm demanding to see the Harry Potter star in a room bustling with models and makeup artists.

He shouted at onlookers as he pledged his love for the A-list celebrity.

‘I want to marry Emma Watson. Let me speak to Emma Watson,’ he reportedly said. ‘Let me take a photo with Emma Watson.’

Management called police and Busto was taken into custody and charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, one counts of trespassing and one count of criminal trespass in the third degree, according to a complaint obtained by DailyMail.com.

Several fashion shows were being held at the Navy Yard on Friday including, famed designer Ralph Lauren.

Though it is unclear if Watson was in the dressing room or at the fashion show during the ambush, the news outlet reported.

The Brooklyn DA’s office said Busto was held overnight at central booking after his arrest and was arraigned this week at Brooklyn Court before his release.

Busto is being represented by Jessica Kovac, an attorney with Legal Aid Brooklyn. Brooklyn Justice Initiative is handling Busto’s supervised release.

Kovac she did not respond to MailOnline.com requests for comment.

A Suffolk County representative told DailyMail.com on Thursday they were aware of Busto’s latest offense.

‘Brooklyn is out of our jurisdiction and we were unable to pursue the defendant due to the bail laws on a misdemeanor,’ a rep said.

They did confirm the warrant for his arrest on was still active. 

 Busto’s next court date is October 10 at Kings County Criminal Court in Brooklyn, for the Watson case, The New York Post reported. 

Busto told DailyMail.com he had crossed paths with Barrymore around 10 years ago, and was hoping to be in a romance with her. 

A source close to Barrymore said that the actress was not rattled by the disturbing series of events.

‘Drew feels good, feels safe, and even at the moment, it happened so fast she was OK and didn’t stress about it,’ the source said. ‘She has moved on from the incident as she knows that people were there to protect her.’

The source continued: ‘The one thing she didn’t want to happen was to make the incident the thing that was remembered for the night, so she forgot about it as soon as it was over, and she continued talking to Renee and revert the attention back to the conversation, that is what was important for Drew.

‘She is not going to change the way she runs her life and protects herself, all those things are and have been set for her during her entire life, and she doesn’t want anyone to worry about her wellb

Though it is unclear what Barrymore’s reaction is in wake of the latest news on Busto, a source told DailyMail.com during last month’s incident that Barrymore is in good spirits and does not want to change the way she lives her life after the scary incident.

‘Drew feels good, feels safe, and even at the moment, it happened so fast she was OK and didn’t stress about it. She has moved on from the incident as she knows that people were there to protect her,’ the source said.

When DailyMail.com reached out to Barrymore’s agent and legal team on Thursday to find out how the star was doing in wake of the latest news on her alleged-stalker they did not hear back.

America has already set a record for ‘billion-dollar’ disasters in a given year – even with three months to go and the peak of hurricane season still remaining. 

According to NOAA, which has been tracking billion-dollar weather disasters in the US since 1980 and adjusting costs for inflation, this year’s storms have already cost more than $57.6billion and claimed at least 253 lives.

The disasters include the Maui wildfires, Hurricane Idalia in Florida and flooding in the Northeast. 

There have been 23 billion-dollar storms this year, beating the previous record of 22 in 2020, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA applied climatologist Adam Smith, who tracks the billion-dollar weather events, said Monday he does ‘not expect things to slow down anytime soon.’

‘We’re seeing the fingerprints of climate change all over our nation,’ he said. 

The organization listed an August 11 Minnesota hailstorm and severe storms in early August and mid-July across the Midwest and parts of the South among the 23 costly weather events.

The organization has not yet taken into account the damage brought on by Tropical Storm Hilary, which walloped California along the coast, as well as parts of Nevada and Washington.

Droughts in the South and Midwest have also yet to be added to the count, as costs are still being totaled.

Each of the weather events listed have cost at least $1billion in damage.  

Smith said the shockingly high number of costly weather events is both due to a rise in the number of disasters, and because more areas are being built in risk-prone locations.

‘Exposure plus vulnerability plus climate change is supercharging more of these into billion-dollar disasters,’ Smith said.

‘This year, a lot of the action has been across the center states, north central, south and southeastern states.’

He added he thought the record established in 2020 would last for many years because the 22 billion-dollar disasters that year far surpassed the previous record of 16.

After this year’s partial results, however, he no longer believes new records will hold for very long. 

Weather experts say the country needs to become more adaptable to weather events, because there are only more each year.

‘The climate has already changed and neither the built environment nor the response systems are keeping up with the change,’ Former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Craig Fugate said.

University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs said ‘adding more energy to the atmosphere and the oceans will increase intensity and frequency of extreme events.’

‘Many of this year’s events are very unusual and in some cases unprecedented.’ 

Stanford University climate scientist Chris Field called the rise of billion-dollar disasters ‘very troubling.’

‘But there are things we can do to reverse the trend,’ he added. ‘If we want to reduce the damages from severe weather, we need to accelerate progress on both stopping climate change and building resilience.’