Quote: Aaron @ December 7 2008, 5:34 PM GMTAnd in that respect the difference to now is what, exactly?
Well that's my point.
Do you understand the Parliamentary System? Page 4
Ok... Well there'd still be the central figure, who is ultimately the decision maker, no matter who collects the facts and specialises in the intricates of each matter.
Hmmm, that's interesting. I would've said no way a week ago, but you make a good point. Presumably there would be some person or persons with the power to depose her if she went a bit crackers?
What form they'd take I won't even consider, but yes, there'd be some system of sorts.
Just watched the December 8th episode of Jon Stewart and he does a funny bit on the topic of our parliamentary screw up in our country but what was even funnier was the bit that follows about Canada being under the Queen still and Aasif Mandvi (India corespondent) tries to convince Samantha Bee (Canadian corespondent) to go independent while John Oliver (British correspondence) tries to do convince her to stay.
Pretty funny stuff.
Quote: chipolata @ December 3 2008, 2:13 PM GMTThere's a great thriller by Lionel Davidson called Kolomsky Heights in which the hero does just that. Great book. Read it if you get the chance.
Just finished reading the book in my hotel room. Very enjoyable. Thanks for the recommendation.
Quote: DaButt @ December 29 2008, 2:26 AM GMTJust finished reading the book in my hotel room. Very enjoyable. Thanks for the recommendation.
Reading a book in Las Vegas.................Oh please tell me this is not so!!! 
Quote: Dr Mato @ December 29 2008, 2:28 AM GMTReading a book in Las Vegas.................Oh please tell me this is no so!!!
This town bores me to tears. The Beatles Cirque du Soleil show last night was fantastic, but I have no use for gambling or the usual tourist nonsense.
The highlights of the trip so far:
1) Hanging out with my family.
2) The Beatles show.
3) Chatting with the 2 guys from the UK about how much we hate Las Vegas. (Also about guns, music, real ale, army life and world travel.)
I wrote an article for my journalism course on the parliamentary system. Doesn't mean I understand it! 
http://crustynomad.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/the-british-democratic-system/
Quote: DaButt @ December 29 2008, 2:32 AM GMTThis town bores me to tears.
It'd probably be much more interesting if you had a few million or so to play with. Then again I can think of better ways to spend that sort of money.
Quote: Moonstone @ December 29 2008, 4:19 PM GMTIt'd probably be much more interesting if you had a few million or so to play with.
I've done my share of gambling, but only as a means to get free drinks. You can pay $5 for a beer at a bar, or you can play a video poker machine at the same bar and get free drinks as long as you're playing. In the long run, it's cheaper to play poker and tip the bartender a buck or two than it is to buy the beer outright. I've probably lost under $100 in 5 days
Quote: DaButt @ December 29 2008, 4:27 PM GMTI've done my share of gambling, but only as a means to get free drinks. You can pay $5 for a beer at a bar, or you can play a video poker machine at the same bar and get free drinks as long as you're playing. In the long run, it's cheaper to play poker and tip the bartender a buck or two than it is to buy the beer outright. I've probably lost under $100 in 5 days
I'd just sit there and pretend to put money in
There was a Louis Theroux documentary here on Vegas. Were all the croupiers oriental cos they seemed to be in that?
Quote: Moonstone @ December 29 2008, 4:39 PM GMTI'd just sit there and pretend to put money in
There was a Louis Theroux documentary here on Vegas. Were all the croupiers oriental cos they seemed to be in that?
The video screen makes it quite obvious if you're playing, but you can play rather slowly if you're counting your pennies. If you tip the bartender well they'll eventually stop paying much attention.
There are a lot of Asian dealers, but I don't think they're in the majority. But the tourists certainly are. I sat on a bench and counted 100 passersby and 70 of them were Asian - mainly Chinese, I think.
Chinese tourists are so important to casinos that the MGM Grand redesigned its entrance several years ago. Gamblers formerly entered through a stylized lion's head, but Chinese followers of feng shui believed it was bad luck to enter the mouth of a lion, so the casino remodeled the entrance and added a huge bronze statue of a lion instead.
