If you grew up in the 1970s, you may have a dim memory of "Chariots of the Gods," an international best seller by Erich von Däniken full of dubious speculation about extraterrestrial influences on ancient earthling civilizations.
They are the gods of international athletics, and yet in this environment they are ignored.
Of late he has taken up the cudgel for atheism, writing "The God Delusion," an international best seller.
It then passed, for $37m in 2007, to Paul and Jan Crouch, who own the Trinity Broadcasting Network and are the biggest figures in International God TV.
Last weekend's Keep Seeking First God's Kingdom International Convention held in Melbourne seemed like the perfect opportunity to join the insular Jehovah's Witness world, even if just for a few hours. .
The gods of the International Style, Corbusier, Mies and Gropius, shuddered.
The Mumbai attacks were broadcast live (and exclusive!) on all or most of our 67 24-hour news channels and god knows how many international ones.
As late as the 1920 presidential campaign, a quarter-million letters were sent to voters accusing Warren Harding of being descended from a "West Indian Negro.... May God save America from international shame and domestic ruin".
Walker was an implacable figure, but shrewd; he introduced "Scotland The Brave" as the song played before internationals, after "God Save The Queen" was booed by Scottish fans, and he was heartfelt when he said after Scotland's ugly meeting with Uruguay at the 1986 World Cup that "we found ourselves on the field with cheats and cowards and we were associated with the scum of world football".
He exhaled furiously — the international sign for "God, Mom, whatever!" — and went to the dressing room.
Or perhaps he just thinks that, before his arrival, the international economy, and God knows what else — soft-drink availability?
