I bid you a royally warm welcome to this last Friday in April. The week that was brought us a rally in natural gas, busting through resistance at $4.40ish, which had rebuffed a number of tests in the past month or so. Crude has bobbed along, treading water with the floatation devices of a weaker US dollar and the omnipresent unrest in the Middle East, while economic data or economic outlooks (h/t Ben Bernanke) provided little impetus for prices to rally. Next week is exciting for fifty-seven reasons – two of those being Nonfarm Friday and the Kentucky Derby, but for now, a royal feast is served:

–EPA to clarify rules for the use of diesel for fracking.

–Mottoes of the 50 states….while which state is the weirdest? This one.

–The war for Libya’s oil (very succinct summary).

–Kuwait on the prairie – article about North Dakota and oil.

–Termites in bank eat piles of cash.

–EIA: Gas prices will peak in June, and then fall.

–Huge numbers coming out of China regarding energy consumption growth.

–8 shameless abuses of diplomatic immunity.

–Free rain barrels for New Yorkers.

–EIA annual energy outlook 2011.

–Q&A re what’s the latest at Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant. 

–Mac vs. PC people (h/t E Bickel)…or the rise of Apple infographic.

–Green cars are ready! (buyer’s aren’t).

–Rising oil prices spurs increase in stealing restaurant grease. 

–Man dressed as cow steals 26 gallons of milk.

The Burrito Deluxe Award of the Week goes to royal weddings and 4-day weekends (neither of which we are experiencing in the US).

The Burnt Burrito Award of the Week goes to the US dollar, for making a new 33-month low on Fed Chariman Ben Bernanke’s comments this week that interest rates ‘will never rise again’ (well, that’s what he implied anyway). 

The Burrito Headline of the Week goes to this: 30,000 government goats go missing (h/t L Bates).

The Burrito Question of the Week: Am I the only person in the world who never knew ‘Manic Monday’ by The Bangles was written by Prince?

Have a jumpin’ weekend!