Christmas Rescue Plan

With swine flu going around, an imminent BA strike, visa and immigration issues, global warming and Tiger Woods now doing the rounds as a golf playa, it makes you wonder if we are getting close to the point when Christmas itself is at risk. I met Perry in Union Square sitting on his owners' lap. Bearing in mind that Perry was dressed as Santa, you'd expect that the seating arrangement would be transposed. But Perry is just a chihuahua so we can make an exception here. Anyway, Perry was part of what seems to be a growing number of Santas seen around the city this year.

Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein only had a handful of lookalikes in case things turned tricky. But Santa seems to have garrisons of lookalikes and is even represented by many other life forms too! Is Santa worried that with the world recession, Christmas is really at risk? Is he just a little afraid that when he delivers those cheaper presents this year, and less of them, that all those sweet little children who have been good will suddenly turn bad!

Thinking it through, I suppose he would need a myriad of fall guys. In every country and every place, and judging from Perrys' choice of outfit, in every species. It's one thing having a child turn bad on you, but a really pissed dog standing between you and your sleigh is not an experience any Santa is going to crave.

Hopefully, all the kids will be reasonably appeased, somewhat distracted because they can play with daddy all day, because he doesn't go to the office anymore...