I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all readers a very happy Christmas. You can take that as coming jointly from myself and my colleagues Martina Purdy and Gareth Gordon.
I know it's a bit soon. But doing it this way serves to...
1. Save all three of us money on Christmas cards
2. Scotch any rumours that ´óÏó´«Ã½ NI political correspondents cannot agree a common festive greeting
I am also extending to the Office for the First and Deputy First Ministers the chance to avail of this blog to communicate any seasonal thoughts they may wish to share with the wider public.
The rumour is that they are still consulting on how best to convey these thoughts. Should it be an e-card or a real card?
The Stormont rumour mill suggests that the First Minister's reluctance to approve an official missive relates to an opposition to the commercialisation of Christmas. However my DUP sources tell me their leader does Christmas "full on", but does not want to waste money on departmental cards when he has already purchased his own party and constituency cards.
Surely, in this new era, it can't be anything to do with a reluctance to sign cards together with the Deputy First?
First Martin McGuinness, then Dana. It's more than a by-the-book Free Presbyterian can bear.
Ivan Foster has already made clear his dismay with the power sharing arrangement at Stormont.
Now he's voiced his concern at Ian Paisley's recent get together with Dana, who the outgoing Free Presbyterian leader commended as "a woman of great faith and steel".
The Revd. Foster describes this as "sad reading for all faithful Christians" because of Dana's allegiance to the Church of Rome.
I would like to break it to the Revd. Foster that the First Minister is soon heading off to Rome to witness Archbishop Sean Brady getting his Cardinal's red hat.
I would like to break it to him, but unfortunately I can't, as it's the Deputy First Minister who is going to be part of the Brady Bunch.
May 1996 Brian Keenan: "Do not be confused about decommissioning. The only thing the Republican movement will accept is the decommissioning of the British state in this country."
September 2005 (Nine years later) General De Chastelain confirms IRA decommissioning is complete.
November 2007 Jackie McDonald "90% of people in the loyalist community don't want decommissioning.They're not the UDA's guns. They're the people's guns."
Nine years later?
I'm 