[enter the dragon] powered by oil

That's Japan sinking in the background, by the way.

Anyone just that teensy-weensy bit worried about China?

About 3.8 trillion cubic meters of natural gas deposits have been discovered in southwest China's Sichuan Basin, with verified exploitable reserves topping 600 billion cubic meters.

The reserves were discovered in Dazhou, a gas-rich city in Sichuan Province. By 2010, the newly found deposits will raise the city's gas output to 24 billion cubic meters and sulphur to more than 4.3 million tons.

Er - so it's not to supply the whole of China and half the damned world with then - this just concerns one city, does it? Now then, how many cities does China have? Let's see now ...

[segie] secret of those good looks

I have this theory about Segie, you know, that she's actually a ravening lizard who draws her youthful good looks from those around her. Bit fanciful? Then why do they call her "L’ancienne candidate", eh?

I don't insist on it but just where has she been these last few weeks? What's she been feeding on?

[honesty] wolfie apportions the blame

Predictable really:

The outgoing president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, has told the BBC an "overheated" atmosphere at the bank and in the media forced him to resign.

Couldn't really expect:

The outgoing president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, has told the BBC an "overheated" libido with his honey and his moral relativism and "general sleaziness" forced him to resign.

[men and women] the power of punctuation

Please punctuate correctly:

"a woman without a man is nothing"

[new feudalism] two considered thoughts

They say it better than I can:

Here and here.

[the ukraine] decision time has come

You've all read it:

Ukraine was in political chaos last night after President Viktor Yushchenko attempted to seize control of the national guard, prompting accusations that he was trying to stage a coup. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich accused Mr Yushchenko of preparing to use force in their struggle for supremacy after Mr Yushchenko said on Friday he was taking control of interior ministry troops.

Mr Yushchenko issued his decree hours after riot police loyal to the Prime Minister took over a building housing the prosecutor-general's office in Kiev following scuffles. The decree concerns troops largely responsible for maintaining public order and not the army, which is controlled by one of pro-Western Mr Yushchenko's few allies in the cabinet. He ordered the interior ministry troops to protect key sites.

Mr Yanukovich denounced the President's move as dangerous and unconstitutional. It presaged, he said, an attempt to use force to resolve Ukraine's long-running political crisis.

So, it's come to this. I think the country will have to split into the two roughly natural divisions it's now in. The Russian half will remain independent but loyal to Russia and the other will become an American satellite like Poland and Hungary.

Otherwise there'll be war or revolution. Hope Russia doesn't march in.