1 Of course the linked article had to dig at US immigration policy:

"That awkward moment when its easier for fictional monsters to get citizenship than migrants in US"

To some degree, *my* special relationship with Britain is "sod off, swampy."  The one and only time that I visited made me understand why so many of them left to go somewhere else.

I must, however, acknowledge David Thompson (http://davidthompson.typepad.com/) as one of those who could make Britain a sane place to live, assuming that he could neutralize a seemingly large segment of the remaining population.

On a non-"get off my lawn" note, my wife and I have visited Japan several times and we spent a couple of those times based out of the Shinjuku area.  I'm now able to recognize the Shinjuku train station in Japanese movies. 

2

Given that the British were not interested in giving British passports to Hong Kong residents who did not want to live under a government imposed by the PRC, following the former Crown Colony's reunion with the Mainland Commies - I think the BBC might want to remember the old adage about stones and glass houses.

For that matter, what is the BBC's view of the UK denying residents of Gibraltar and the Falklands British citizenship?

3 This is rather drifty in the topic area, guys.