The reason why political careers continue to defy gravity and plummet upwards is that where's there's a will, there's a loophole. Or a denial. We have an unaccountable mess made by unaccountable people.

As most of us are well aware, when a government minister says "I take full responsibility" he means, always, "it's not my fault". So is there any misdemeanour or act of incompetence a minister can perpetrate in order not to have the full support of his colleagues? Of course there is. Getting caught.

But it is not in the nature of politicians to surrender their own political lives; they are like wasps in jam jars. They buzz on long after hope has gone. Helped by the tribal din of protection. I have an awful hunch we'll look back on these days as a balmy time of peace, compared to what's coming.

But if politicians want us to respect the rule of law, then we must have a law that they respect themselves. Fat chance. Not unless there is law that requires an ethical makeover coupled with a morality upgrade.

The consensus here is that Thai Rak Thai will walk the next election if Thaksin has any part in it, even if he is just sitting in a leather chair stroking a white cat, occasionally swivelling round to confront an adversary with, "I'm afraid you're beginning to bore me, Mr Bond."

There is room for guarded optimism. For once, it really does look like the three courts have the cojones to untangle this dangerous farce. However the end-game plays out in Thailand, the people who count already know that it's going to be ugly and disruptive.

The whole scene is exhausting. Take a deep breath. Lie down. Smoke something if you think it will help.

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After just tipping 10 years at The Nation I reckon we have a readership that likes what we do, though doesn't quite understand who we are, and have a caretaker "leader" that understands exactly what we do and doesn't like us at all.

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In Thailand it's said there is no crime when there is no victim. But now there is no crime where there appear to be hundreds of victims. Dead ones, too. "Large numbers of mystery corpses can be found in almost any province," droned a government suit, like a star pupil in some Cambodian re-education camp.

Khunying Pornthip is going to be a busy girl.

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With the 'Fuji McDonald Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Jürgen Klinsmann?' World Cup about to start, during which four billion people will spend 24 days slumped in a bean bag, a colleague said he'd met a guy who was fairly sure that Samosa was one of the African countries competing in the tournament, and was utterly convinced that Rio de Janeiro played on the wing for England.

Then, on Wednesday, I met a woman who thought an Aston Martin was a cigarette. She also referred to non-celebrities as "civilians".

By the way, in the early 1970s the aggressive Crystal Palace striker Gerry Queen figured in one of the great tabloid headlines of all time: "Queen in brawl at Palace".

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An amusing trick for bored office workers: rotate your right foot in a clockwise direction, and then, while rotating, draw the number six in the air with your right hand. You'll find that your foot magically changes direction.

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A conversation about values being taught in schools reminded me of the seven social sins that Mahatma Gandhi thought should be avoided: politics without principle; wealth without work; commerce without morality; pleasure without conscience; education without character; science without humanity; worship without sacrifice. If only.

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Overheard:

"You have to know a man awfully well in Thailand to know his surname."

 "An independent Montenegro? Oh no, not another Eurovision song contestant."

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The Last Crusade: Descendants of the Knights Templars want a papal apology nearly 700 years after they were disbanded and hounded into exile. The Vatican is giving "serious consideration" to apologising for the persecution that led to the suppression of the Knights Templars.

The suppression, which began on Friday, October 13, 1307, gave Friday the 13th its superstitious legacy. I didn't know that either.

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"Impotence in old age has not been a great loss. It's like being unchained from a lunatic." Jazz singer George Melly, 79

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We asked a potential member of our New Chivalry Party for his views on the death penalty and the environment. He said he wanted to bring back hanging but only from sustainable trees.

And it appears we have a rival. Two dodgy Aussie expats and a gaggle of katoeys have decided to form their own political outfit called "The party party PARTY party"

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Sunday enigma: I would really like to believe this.

On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 lunar module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", were televised to earth and heard by millions. But just before he re-entered the moon-lander, he made the enigmatic remark, "Good luck, Mr Gorsky." Many people at Nasa thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programmes.

Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled. On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay Florida, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year old question with Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr Gorsky had died, so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

In 1938, when he was a kid in a small Midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit the ball, which landed in his neighbour's yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbours were Mr and Mrs Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs Gorsky shouting at Mr Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex? You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

 Compiled by Roger Beaumont