[Lexinom]

Speaking on Australia's Nine Network, Mike O'Dwyer said that a representative of China had called him over the phone and said: "We want you and your family in Beijing," to finish his work on Metal Storm weapons. His salary? $100 million a year, with $50 million on arrival in China.

Of course! He and his wife may wish to buy a mansion of their own or whatever else.

O'Dwyer turned down the offer and reported it to the Australian government, which responded with its advice on how he "should continue the discussion" and on how to preserve his "personal safety." O'Dwyer said he would like to have seen a little more concern.

Had O'Dwyer accepted the $100-million-a-year offer, no one would have known about it. An Australian going to work in China? Big deal! Nowadays this is fashionable!

So who is talking about this? Any of our '08 contenders? Does anyone care? Anyone? Going once... going twice...

[Sandreckoner]

Yes, China graduates half a million engineers, as long as you also call U.S. vo-tech pre-engineering folk "engineers." There's a wide range of what are considered actual "engineers" by China.