Answers for questions

We now have the answer to the question we asked yesterday. Will Bush be attending the funeral for the King of Saudi Arabia? Apparently not.

Western leaders and dignitaries, including Britain's Prince Charles, French President Jacques Chirac and Australia's governor general are due to arrive to offer condolences.

U.S. President George W. Bush, who has promised a "close partnership" with Saudi Arabia under Abdullah's leadership, will send a delegation. The leaders of Syria, Pakistan and other Muslim states are expected to attend.

I think the reader who guessed Condi Rice is going to win a cookie. Seems like something we would do.

Related: It seems that oil prices immediately spiked to $63.30 amid fears for the stability of the supply following Fahd's death. This strikes me as strange, given that the new king has effectively been running the country since Fahd had a stroke nearly a decade ago. The real changes will likely come when this king passes on. (He's the old king's brother and is no spring chicken himself.)

The Bush - Cheney - Haliburton administration talks a good game about securing energy independence for our country and keeping fuel costs under control. Events like this serve as a reminder of just how fragile the energy world is, and how one simple little twist of fate could change everything at any time. It could have been an Islamic fundamentalist who hates the "Great Satan" taking over Saudi Arabia, and had it been so, we'd be looking at a whole new crisis this morning.