Queen

Leave it to the Washington Post to give some really useful etiquette tips for the Queen's visit, including (and I swear I'm not making this up): "Along the same lines, do not ask her to pull your finger. This will give you away as a rube from the Colonies." Yeah, I know it's supposed to be a joke. At the same link, the Post also offers letters from Americans -- what they would say if they had a few seconds with the Queen. Really pathetic. The only decent one is this: "I loved you as Helen Mirren."

Meanwhile, Marc Fisher is absolutely indignant about the deference Americans are showing to the Queen. He's got a point, especially with the editorialist who wrote, "We are Elizabeth's subjects and she our monarch for a day," although I would call most of what he cites simple adoration of celebrity. (Note the letter writer's comment above about the movie.) Besides which, at least she's got a lot more dignity than Diana.

Bonus: One of my all time favorite Beatles songs is Her Majesty:

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she doesn't have a lot to say
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to day

I want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm going to make her mine, oh yeah
Someday I'm going to make her mine