Seasonal Outlook

We're expecting the blog to be a little quiet for about a week. The BOBW team is fleeing the USA for Ireland, and followers of the US media will know why. For, in a country that is 85% Christian, Americans' attempts to observe Christmas this year have been disrupted by SWAT teams of militant Jewish and black activists, who are forcibly removing nativity scenes and other icons from public places and requiring that people express words of homage to vague and sinister "holidays" instead of reassuring those of weak faith that yes, indeed, Jesus really was born on the 25th of December in the Year 1 in a manger in Bethlehem on a starry cold night, like with the no room at the inn and the crib and the shepherds already.

The lack of blogging will not of course be an indication of lack of news. In fact we think there'll be plenty. For one thing, the fallout from the bank robbery described in our previous post is ongoing, and in particular it seems that the Northern Irish police are indeed behaving just like their TV counterparts in finding the timing and method of the robbery just way too convenient.

And the Provos are anxious to distance themselves from the operation. Although with the robbery itself having reminded us of Ronin and The Usual Suspects in its criminal brilliance, the IRA denial led our thoughts to a very funny scene in the fine Mission Impossible (not the shite sequel):

ETHAN [Tom Cruise, trying to persuade a reluctant Luther to join his CIA raid caper] This doesn't sound like the Luther Stickell I've heard of. What'd they used to call you? The Net Ranger? Phineas Phreak? The only man alive who actually hacked NATO Ghostcom.

LUTHER There was never any physical evidence that I had anything to do with that.. that.. (correcting himself and smiling) ... With that exceptional piece of work.

Then there are more global matters. We incorrectly predicted a few weeks ago that Rummy would get canned, but the ice under his skates certainly hasn't firmed up in the meantime. And we'll add another prediction -- that, by the end of 2005, Iran will be in control of a huge chunk of Iraq, either via a proxy government or direct presence of their own troops. Yes, that's how badly we think Dubya's Big Adventure is going to go off the rails next year. So we'd love to say that we think 2005 will be better than 2004, but we can't. So make the most of the 12 Days of Christmas.