Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was greeted by some of that famous British hospitality when he arrived in the UK Monday; he was jeered by crowds along the processional route, and many of those - including the leader and members of the Liberal-Democrats - invited to a banquet in his honour on Tuesday boycotted in protest. Given the appalling display of bad manners (and not just in this instance) it's no wonder Muslim countries are reticent when it comes to working with the West.
Admittedly, the chilly reception isn't surprising, considering the role his country is reputed to play in the training and finance of terrorism (and al-Qaeda in particular); additionally, Saudi Arabia has an appalling record on issues like human rights. Still, it's highly unlikely that any of that will be remedied by rudeness, either.
Fortunately, the 82 year-old sovereign has greeted far worse dictators far more graciously during her tenure in Buckingham Palace; Her Majesty's legendary aplomb was out in full force, as it was when she greeted the Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife in June 1978.
"The relationship between our two kingdoms is one of mutual benefit, learning and understanding. So, King Abdullah, custodian of the two holy mosques, I warmly welcome you to this country," she said in a speech at the banquet.
The crowd at GM Place Tuesday night spanned three generations - I saw kids under ten and a few my parent's age - and they filled nearly every seat; in the course of ninety minutes they went from sedate to screaming as Billy Joel and his band unrolled a string of hits spanning more than 20 years, from 1971's Cold Spring Harbour to 1993's River of Dreams.
Coming off a six-month break in the midst of a two-year world tour, there were few glitches (a couple of missed lighting cues) but otherwise much strong musicianship in the tight set. It being near Hallowe'en, Joel treated us to a few bars of Alfred Hitchcock's theme - Charles Gounod's Funeral March of a Marionette - and the first two verses of Monster Mash!
There was another a surprise number as well; in the midst of the concert Joel donned a guitar and announced that one of his long-time roadies was going to come out and perform a "sacred song". The apathy generated by that announcement was such that I think I even heard a few people boo. Then out walked a frankly scary looking gentleman - seriously, like an extra on The Sopranos - who proceeded to tear the roof down with a rousing rendition of AC/DC's Highway to Hell, to tumultuous applause and sustained audience participation.
A three-song encore closed the night; after the second - and my personal favourite, Only The Good Die Young - Joel made to leave the stage without playing the one we'd waited all evening to hear. As he stepped away from the piano the booing started; stepping toward to piano the cheering started, and on it went for about thirty seconds - back, boo, forth, cheer - until at last he sat down, donned his harmonica strap, and played that familiar opening refrain...
Singing along with a crowd of more than 20,000 to Piano Man I was struck by just why it is musicians put up with years of touring, lousy gigs, and disrupted family life; simply put, it's the adulation stupid. To sit onstage like that and hear a crowd that size singing your song back at you must be the greatest feeling there is for an artist.
An earthquake rumbled through the San Francisco Bay area - including San Jose and Oakland - Tuesday evening at 8:04 PM local time; tremors could be felt as far away as Palo Alto.
The United States Geological Survey confirmed that the quake was located 5 miles northeast of San Francisco's Alum Bay neighbourhood, in the vicinity of South Bay, approximately 5.7 miles deep.
Although rated at 5.6 on the Richter Scale, it was enough to give people a fright; only minor damage is being reported, though, and so far there are no reported injuries or deaths.
Admittedly, the chilly reception isn't surprising, considering the role his country is reputed to play in the training and finance of terrorism (and al-Qaeda in particular); additionally, Saudi Arabia has an appalling record on issues like human rights. Still, it's highly unlikely that any of that will be remedied by rudeness, either.