Frommers.com Has delightfully informed me that both The State Rooms in Buckingham Palace and The Houses of Parliament will be open for visitors right around the time that I arrive. Very cool. Sounds like neat things to see while I'm flopping around those first few weeks getting my bearings, looking for a job, staring at Princess Di's closed memorial......

I also think I should like to see some debate in Parliament at some time. While that might sound boring, and it probably is, is just seems natural to me after having been born and raised in an environment so saturated in government. I do like that in Parliament the Prime Minister has to get up in front of everyone and then they seem to shout at him and heckle him! You might here some murmers and cat calls in Congress but nothing so drastic as in Parliament, and you'll never see a President addressing Congress except for the State of the Union address which is nothing more than a lofty speech and a big congressional love-in. The big protest move there is to not stand up and clap when something disagreeable is said. Wow, way to go. I imagine that if Bush had to stand up and answered pointed, unscripted questions you might very well see his flesh melt away to reveal machinery short-circuiting underneath a la a Simpsons episode. There's just no way he could handle it.