■"U.S. Investors Shift Bets Overseas: Uncertainty Over Interest Rates, Economic Expansion Is Steering Americans Toward Europe, Asia," by E.S. Browning, David Reilly and Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal, 17 October 2005, p. C1.

I don't know about you, but I was always entranced by that kitsch painting of dogs playing poker. Frankly, I still am.

Well, this story has a drawing that parodies that famous painting, with the seven animals playing poker being a lion (UK), kangaroo (Australia), eagle (U.S.), poodle (France), panda (China), dog (Germany), and elephant (India).

Not exactly your dad's G-7, with Canada (moose, I imagine) and Italy (beats the hell out of me) dropped from the tableau in favor of India and China.

Amazing times we live in, huh?