World Cup Special: The Ultimate Triumph of Paul the Octopus

UPDATE 0730 GMT: In case you're wondering --- and I know you are --- Paul has picked Spain to defeat Holland in tonight's final.

I have been fortunate to follow the story of Paul the Octopus since the start of the World Cup when EA's German Bureau notified me of this wondrous eight-tentacled psychic and his ability to predict the outcome of football matches.

We continued to watch as Paul's fame grew and reached the mainstream media, but on Thursday --- the day after Spain defeated Germany 1-0 in the World Cup semifinal --- we were put on Special Alert by the German Bureau.

As Cassandra learned, a psychic's success becomes a curse when he/she brings bad news, and Paul (unwisely) had forecast the Spanish victory. So the cry had arisen: "Cut him up in thin slices and grill him on all sides with a dash of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic on it. Delicious!"

It is our great pleasure and relief, however, to bring you the reassurance this morning that Paul will not be on a dinner plate in the near-future. He (wisely) pointed to a German win in the 3rd-place match against Uruguay last night --- when Diego Forlan's last-minute shot hit the crossbar, both a 3-2 German victory and Paul's longevity were protected.

And the ever-vigilant German Bureau notes that there is a political pay-off in the latest developments. For Paul has not confined himself to sporting forecasts. This week he was placed before photographs of Iran's Supreme Leader on one side and opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi on the other. The outcome: