A new year, a new editor-in-chief. From writing Sherlock Holmes puzzles I suddenly find myself at the head of the Zine. Promotions go swift around here. It's like the cartoon writer becoming the newspaper editor. Expect a rise in witty comments. Maybe not so extravagant if you know that in India a major political party (Shiv Sena) was founded by a cartoon writer (Bal Thackeray). And Benito Mussolini was once a journalist. Cartoons and the dreams of Italian dictators are two of the ingredients in this issue's mix. But as Larry declared, every issue should have a theme to give it substance, a soul, a cloth hanger to hang your ideas on. The theme for this first number of the Zine's 21st year revolves around the number 21. 21 as in the 21st century, our current era. The 21st century is still largely an unknown, if you consider that hardly any forecasts go beyond 2050 as if it's the end of the world. And thus it's a subject of prediction. The same prediction that you use in every Diplomacy game. Suggest this to Larry and he will quickly connect Herman Kahn, Edi Birsan and the Nuclear Holocaust in one streaming story. Prediction and propaganda go hand in hand, as our newest contributor, going by the pen name Norm de Guerre, proves with his double article on 50 shades of grey. Harry doesn't draw cartoons, but he writes damn funny poésie — I mean poetry. You must excuse my French. What, you thought I'm French? Or Italian? German? Czech, a descendant of Jan Hus? Scandinavian? Russian? Dutch? You'd all be wrong. I'm from that country in the center of Europe in a time when an Iron Curtain reduced Europe to just the West, and the East was simply a big black hole, impenetrable and thus unknown. When the EU was just 12 countries and the geographical center was… Well, you can figure it out. The DWC III is no longer, as a mentally and physically suffering Chris Babcock has thrown in the towel. The curse of one man running a world tournament? There's one man who doesn't get deterred by this. Larry is proposing a new event to remember Pearl Harbor. Find out for yourself if he's serious for once. Did I forget anything? Obviously I did. Check out the index for all else in this packed number. I predict you'll have a jolly good time! Enjoy the Pouch! Mario Huys The Editor (editor@diplom.org) If you wish to e-mail feedback on this article to the author, and clicking on the envelope above does not work for you, feel free to use the "Dear DP..." mail interface.