Well I finally did it this year, I took the plunge and dressed up as Osama Bin Laden. I mean, Halloween is supposed to be about scary things, and the fact that he's real only makes it even more scary... I deliberately didn't make it that realistic, so mostly nobody knew what it was supposed to be, but I still didn't quite realize how dangerous that could be.

Anyway, I don't know quite how reliable this ananova site is, but I ran into this article that says that the trend is actually pretty popular in other countries.

Osama bin Laden masks are being worn at Halloween celebrations around the world.

One Mexican company is offering a full-length costume of bin Laden for £23, including a hand-painted rubber mask of the bearded Saudi exile.

"For us, the masks are not offensive," said a saleswoman for one costume company. "It's all done with Mexican humour, as a joke."

The company is not exporting the masks to its neighbour to the north, however.

In Northern Ireland costume shops report a brisk business in Arab-style costumes. Some shops said bin Laden masks were their most requested item, with George Bush masks trailing well behind.

Most costume shops in Northern Ireland are selling generic Middle Eastern garb, such as turbans, robes and beards.

"It's hard to have a drink in a bin Laden mask," said James Elliott, owner of a costume shop in Belfast. "But we've had lots of requests for the Arab outfit."

In Brazil, bin Laden masks were being marketed for the increasingly popular Halloween holiday.

One store in Rio de Janeiro, said that Bin Laden masks were by far the season's most popular costume - outselling Yasser Arafat and George Bush masks by about 20 to 1.

Hopefully, that means we're getting to the point where we can make fun out of the tragedy. Kind of like dixieland funerals, where they sing and dance...