House of cards

Has been some decent TV on this week. The BBC had a couple of programmes focusing on unemployment. Celebraties such as Meg Matthews, Archie Mitchell from Eastenders, A Parker-Bowles IT Girl and Irish gardner Diarmund, all went to live with an out of work person/family. I thought all parties came out smelling of roses, the celebraties were portrayed in a pretty positive light and the plight of those suffering from long-term unemployment was also sympathetically highlighted.

"My Big Fat Gypsy" wedding was a rather more lighthearted Channel 4 documentary, focusing, as you may expect on traveler's nuptials. In their world most of the girls seem to get married at 16, with a huge, ridiculously oversized dress being a great status symbol. The larger the better, with many of the dresses weighing more than the brides and causing permanent scaring to the hips. It also transpired that the location of the reception must be kept secret, as if the venue get wind of it being a gypsy wedding they will cancel the occasion for fear of violent debauchery!

Poker has been pretty dismal, may take a few days off to watch some videos and regain a positive mindset. Am off to Prague on the Warwick Poker Soc trip next weekend which should be good fun.

Elsewhere, this caught Rupert's eye, we saw it being constructed in Macau, and is now finished.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8559882.stm