Margaret Thatcher is dead.

[Sava]

do you think she and reagan ****ed?

[Hauldren Collider]

Probably not.

[Sava]

i bet the thought gives you a boner

[Hauldren Collider]

Old people ****ing does not give me a boner, no.

[Sava]

yo doth protest to omcuh

[Hauldren Collider]

It's not protesting too much if you are specifically asked. It's only thou doth protest too much if you point it out when no one suspected you, like shouting "I'm not gay" when someone asks if you're friends with Joey.

[Sava]

no

[molly bloom]

do you think she and reagan ****ed?

CUE PROJECTILE VOMITING.

Thanks mucho, Sava.

Do we really want a country where you are 'represented' by a mass of MP's who are not directly responsible for a particular constituency?

kentonio


I don't really see how that's worse than being governed by a party which had only a minority of voters (rather than potential voters) supporting it. I'm sure there are many good constituency M.P.s, but you and I know how party favourites who lose their seat are found the next convenient one- even if they are lacking the slightest tangential connection with the new locality.

That's the system.

Alas. It doesn't mean that because it works predominantly in favour of the two parties with the largest regular minority support that it should continue. After all, we had two major Reform Acts in the 19th Century- and the Chartists' aims of paid m.p.s and universal suffrage (for instance) have also been achieved, so it may be slow, but a change is gonna come.... (non-mandatory Sam Cooke reference)

then a large bump constitutes a landslide.

You say large bump, I say swollen pimple. Po tay to, po tah to...

[molly bloom]

As an anecdotal point on society, in the UK I didn't know any of my neighbours even after living in the same house for five years.

In London, people get in the lift with you and look at you funny if you say "hello". In Geneva, people look at you funny if you don't say "hello".

Dauphin

Have you heard of Kate Fox ? She's written a fascinating book called 'Watching The English- The Hidden Rules Of English Behaviour' which covers a whole host of topics, from emerging mobile phone etiquette, queuing, pub behaviour, saying 'sorry' when someone bumps into you, use of front gardens and so on.

She also mentions in passing someone I first read years ago and keep meaning to reread, and that's George Mikes who wrote ' How to Be an Alien: A Handbook for Beginners and Advanced Pupils' and 'How To Be A Brit'- he was like an earlier European incarnation of Bill Bryson.

http://www.librarything.com/author/mikesgeorge

[joanntran]

a great personality ,i have read her biography many times

[kentonio]

I don't really see how that's worse than being governed by a party which had only a minority of voters (rather than potential voters) supporting it.

MP's have a huge effect locally. If they are not tied to a constituency then what happens with MP surgeries and the direct representation they provide? Surely that just leads to an MEP situation where the elected person just disappears off to the parliament and is pretty much forgotten until the next election?

I'm sure there are many good constituency M.P.s, but you and I know how party favourites who lose their seat are found the next convenient one- even if they are lacking the slightest tangential connection with the new locality.

Peter Law showed what can happen when the national party starts interfering at the local level. It happens still sure, but constituency organizations can have a huge effect if they flex their muscles.

Alas. It doesn't mean that because it works predominantly in favour of the two parties with the largest regular minority support that it should continue. After all, we had two major Reform Acts in the 19th Century- and the Chartists' aims of paid m.p.s and universal suffrage (for instance) have also been achieved, so it may be slow, but a change is gonna come.... (non-mandatory Sam Cooke reference)

Sure it could change, but where you see flaws, I see inherent strengths. I think a permanent coalition government would be a terrible thing for the country, and basically guarantee a near permanent Labour/Lib Dem government. Maybe with occasional huge swings to the Tories when the populace got too sick of the status quo. If you think one party government under a limited mandate is bad, imagine how much power a party with 60% of the vote would have.

[kentonio]

DP

[Dauphin]

Dauphin

Have you heard of Kate Fox ? ]

I've thumbed through her "Passport to the pub" before.

[N35t0r]

Dauphin

Have you heard of Kate Fox ? She's written a fascinating book called 'Watching The English- The Hidden Rules Of English Behaviour' which covers a whole host of topics, from emerging mobile phone etiquette, queuing, pub behaviour, saying 'sorry' when someone bumps into you, use of front gardens and so on.

She also mentions in passing someone I first read years ago and keep meaning to reread, and that's George Mikes who wrote ' How to Be an Alien: A Handbook for Beginners and Advanced Pupils' and 'How To Be A Brit'- he was like an earlier European incarnation of Bill Bryson.

http://www.librarything.com/author/mikesgeorge

My siblings and I were in London for a couple of days last January, and when we got there, we went to buy Oyster cards. So my brother goes to the tube ticket booth and asks: "An oyser card with 10 pounds in it". The guy in the booth looks at him funny, but still gets the card and asks my brother if he would like the plastic sleeve, to which my brother answers "Yes". Th guy can't hold himself any more and replies: "You're in Britain now mate, you say 'Yes please'" and asks him where he came from, my brother answers and the guy clarifies "SÃ por favor". My (british) cousin and I were laughing by then.

[Sava]

Have you heard of Kate Fox ?

she was hot in the transformers movie