England gets with the times

At long last, Britain has chosen a woman as its poet laureate: the Scottish-born, openly gay poet Carol Ann Duffy will be the first female to hold the post since it was created in 1668.

Duffy will serve a 10-year term as England's official royal poet, for which she will be paid an annual stipend of 5,750 pounds sterling per year, and the traditional "butt of sack"—600 bottles of sherry. (Awesomely, Duffy says she'll donate the stipend, but she's demanding the booze "up front".)

Dude. 600 bottles?

I bet I know what everyone on Ms. Duffy's Christmas gift will be getting this year.