Wow, I guess we have a new Prime Minster. Just like that. Hardly seemed like anything happened, no ceremonies for the public, etc. I think there's something with the Queen, Blair tells her he's out, Gordon tells her he's "forming a new government" and I suppose she green lights this. But no parades, fireworks, swearing-ins, or anything that generates a big fuss. Is this the norm? Did I miss something? Or is this because he wasn't elected? So weird to live in a democracy with a leader we didn't elect. I guess this would be like if the President died and the VP had to take his place, i.e., Truman or Johnson. I'm not sure how long Gordon can just continue being PM without any vote; seems to me like he can ask for an election whenever he pleases. So weird. Still, I'd take this over the now two year election process in America. Seriously, it's been going on since last year and the vote's not until November 2008. I'm sick to death of it and I don't even live there!

I can't believe that since moving here I've lived through a new PM and a royal wedding and both events were amazingly boring. What a shame. I know it can't all be Princess Di and New Labour ... but still.

This is addressed to all of you living in and around London: Um, does anyone know what the hell happened to summer?! It is freezing! Like, I'm outside for one minute in long sleeved shirt and jeans and I am actually cold. (And I've acclimated over the years, I swear.) I know that Wimbledon's on, and this is a prescription for bad weather and rain, but this is absurd. What happened to all those heat waves from last summer? I know it's flooding and things are a real mess, but come on greenhouse gases! Fifty degrees (10 C) is just too damn cold for the end of June.

Last week these magically appeared at my Sainsbury's Local:



This is kind of interesting, as I lived in Maryland for 25 years and never once noticed it to have its own type of chocolate chip cookie. This is a similar emotion to the one I experienced in Tesco a few months ago when I noticed they stocked something called, "Maryland Corn Relish," again, nothing I ever came across in my two plus decades in Maryland.

I'm sure there are legitimate reasons for these product names but I can't shake the nagging suspicion that it's some sort of marketing ploy. By associating with names that are clearly American, what are the manufacturers trying to say? As if we really know our food in America, after all, that's why we eat so much and are so fat? Because our food tastes so good? I don't want to delve into a huge debate, but Londoners are always ranting on about "how fat you Americans are." Right, because I have yet to see a McDonald's here. "Americans may be fat," I always say, "but you Brits sure are catching up fast." As this adorable graphic shows:



As for the cookies, naturally for researching this post I purchased and consumed them. They taste nearly identical to Chips Ahoy. Not great, but will satisfy in the middle of a hormonal and/or stress induced feeding frenzy I'm sure.