> Just to ensure everyone knows, today (29th May) is the Queen's birthday. Her real one, that is, not her official birthday, which is in June.
>
> I'm working in a Government building at the moment, and all the Civil Servants get today off as an additional bank holiday (refered to as a "priviledge day"), presumably in exchange for all the hard work they do do keep the politicians away from government. Yesterday was a bank holiday, so they all got a REALLY long weekend, and I get a day without having the specs for my current project changed. That's a Good Thing.
>
> Anyway, I know some of you are foreign and therefore don't understand the respect that is due to a monarch(Norwegians, Spaniards etc exepted), but I consider this worth saying.

In New Zealand we get a long weekend this coming weekend. Monday is the "official" Queen's Birthday holiday. A day off is always nice, but I have no respect for a monarch whatsoever, apart from that which I think is due to anybody based on their personal qualities and achievements. I'd say I was anti-monarchy, but probably it's just that I don't have much respect for anybody. ;-)

My views on the monarchy are that you get good rulers and bad rulers whether they call themselves a king, a president, a Supreme Dictator or whatever the heck they like. However, if they're still hanging around doing nothing useful, at great expense, and expecting respect for it, a couple of centuries after they've stopped ruling by any sane standards, I say to hell with 'em. I can't wait until NZ gets around to officially chopping off our last ties to an obsolete monarchy 12,000 miles away on the other side of the world.

Brunnen-"doesn't presume to tell Brits what they should do with their own country, though, so if they like the monarchy, best of luck to them"G