The Queen's birthday

HMQ turns 80 today; you can send Her a birthday greeting here. The proper form of address is 'Your Majesty' or 'Ma'am'.

For some reason - class, perhaps? - I like the British Monarchy far better than our own, home-grown, Rehnquist/Scalia watered version. And say what you will about the House of Windsor, it's hard to look at the sheer revoltingness of the Bush clan - an aristocracy of, for and by the trailer park - and not come away with a new appreciation of Elizabeth II.

Certainly, no one ever accused HMQ of falling asleep drunk and almost choking to death on a pretzel. Or of lying to the nation and the legislature about war. Or of making Her country the object of derisive mockery and moral disgust abroad.

No, for that you need a prince of Texan extraction.