The state of the union

I think the Queen should blog, with her first post being her most recent Christmas message. Her Majesty did break new ground by televising her Christmas message in the 1950s, and I think she would enjoy the blogosphere. If she does not, then I will settle for a blog by Helen Mirren: it doesn’t matter if it’s by HM the Queen or H. M. as the Queen.
   Speaking of lookalikes, Nicole and Paul’s wedding yesterday was officiated by Pinky Agnew, who used to play the Prime Minister on TV. She did say, ‘By the power vested in me’ before pronouncing the couple married. I am pretty sure Pinky—an ironic name for someone who played a right-wing PM in the late 1990s—is not an ordained minister. Those guys have a power vested in them by God. So, from whom does a celebrant’s power come from?
   If it is the state, is the power a mere authority, or does the state have God-like powers where heavens can open and zap celebrants with bolts of lightning?
   I suppose I am just a bit old-fashioned. I figure if I ever were to marry, I would prefer just the added buzz of someone who got his or her power from the Big Guy, just to know the ceremony was ultimately presided by the same God who told Moses to bring a couple of tablets down.