Faris Hassan's Day Off

From the AP:
Faris Hassan, a 16-year old American, traveled by plane and taxi to Iraq to check out the local scene:

A strong history student, Hassan had recently studied immersion journalism - a writer who lives the life of his subject - and wanted to understand better what Iraqis are living through.

"I thought I'd go the extra mile for that, or rather, a few thousand miles," he told AP in an interview earlier this week.

The teenager was able to secure an entry visa because both of his parents were born in Iraq, though they've been in the United States for more than three decades.

He took his U.S. passport along with $1,800 in cash. He said the money came from a sum of $10,000 his mother had given him after he gave her some stock tips that earned a 25 percent return.

Maybe he should stick to picking stocks. His mother said he'll be grounded. I assumed he went to Iraq because he was grounded and this was some sort of cry for help. Or a temper tantrum. Or a sign of some sort of mental illness.