Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
I'm Dreaming of a Blonde Christmas
Two funny blondes traveled 2 hours from town and walked deep into the woods searching for a Christmas tree. They were all warmly dressed from head to toe carrying their saw, hatchet and a rope to drag the Christmas tree back to the car. They had thought of every little detail planning this trip.
The two blondes were so determined to find the perfect Christmas tree. So determined, that they searched for hours slugging through knee-deep snow, blistering wind and weren’t even distracted!
Finally, five hours had passed and the sun was beginning to set, so one blonde turned to the other blonde and said, "I GIVE UP! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! There are hundreds of beautiful Christmas trees all around us. Let’s just cut one down whether it's decorated or not!!"
The two blondes were so determined to find the perfect Christmas tree. So determined, that they searched for hours slugging through knee-deep snow, blistering wind and weren’t even distracted!
Finally, five hours had passed and the sun was beginning to set, so one blonde turned to the other blonde and said, "I GIVE UP! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! There are hundreds of beautiful Christmas trees all around us. Let’s just cut one down whether it's decorated or not!!"
Sunday, December 19, 2010
History of Santa Claus
History of Santa Claus
“HE sees you when you’re sleeping, HE knows when you’re awake…HE knows if you’ve been bad or good…” HE is the man of the hour, the guy that kids of all ages have been waiting for all year long…HE is Santa Claus! Think you know all there is to know about the man? If not, read on and find out some pretty amazing facts about the guy known as St. Nick, Father Christmas, Pere Noel… (P.S. If you don’t read on, HE might just leave you a stocking full of coal…just sayin’…)
‘Twas fourth century Greece where the story of Saint Nicholas was born. Saint Nicholas of Myra (which is now part of Turkey), is the primary inspiration for the man who would come to be known as Santa Claus. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor and was a religious man who devoted his entire life to Christianity.
As a matter of fact, in parts of Europe, St. Nicholas is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. He was later claimed as a patron saint by many diverse groups, from archers, sailors and children to pawnbrokers. He is also the patron saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow.
Centuries later, numerous parallels have been drawn between the man known as Santa Claus and the figure of Odin, a major god among the Germanic people. These include the beard, hat, and the cloth bag held by servants, which according to folklore, rather than carrying toys, was used to capture naughty children.
Odin was sometimes recorded as the native Germanic holiday of Yule, leading a great hunting party through the sky. Several books describe Odin as riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir that could leap great distances, giving rise to comparisons to Santa Claus’ reindeer. Children were described as placing their boots, filled with carrots, straw, or sugar, near the chimney for Odin’s flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat.
Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir’s food with gifts or candy. This practice survived in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and can be still seen in the modern practice of the hanging of stockings at the chimney in some homes. This practice in turn came to the United States through the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or stockings at the fireplace.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, Saint Nicolas, (“Sinterklaas”, often called “De Goede Sint” — “The Good Saint”) is aided by helpers commonly known as ” Zwarte Piet” (“Black Peter”) in Dutch or “Pere Fouettard” in French. There are various explanations of the origins of the helpers. The oldest explanation is that the helpers symbolize the two ravens Hugin and Munin who informed Odin on what was going on in the world.
In later stories the helper depicts the defeated devil. Another, more modern story is that Saint Nicolas liberated an Ethiopian slave boy called ‘Piter’ (from Saint Peter) from a Myra market, and the boy was so grateful he decided to stay with Saint Nicolas as a helper.
Pre-modern representations of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas eventually merged with the British character Father Christmas. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a jolly well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe.
He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the “Ghost of Christmas Present” in Charles Dickens’ festive classic , A Christmas Carol.
In the British colonies of North America and later the United States, British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged further. For example, in Washington Irving’s History of New York, (1809), Sinterklaas was Americanized into “Santa Claus” (a name first used in the American press in 1773) but lost his bishop’s apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat.
The modern ideas of Santa Claus became legend however, after the publication of the poem, A Visit From St. Nicholas (better known today as The Night Before Christmas) written by Clement Clarke Moore and published in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823 . Many of his modern attributes are established in this poem, such as riding in a sleigh that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys.
St. Nick is described as being “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf” with “a little round belly”, that “shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly”. The reindeer were also named: “Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem” (Dunder and Blixem was later changed to Donner and Blitzen).
As years passed, Santa Claus evolved in popular culture into a large, heavyset person. One of the first artists to define Santa Claus’s modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century. In 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in Harper’s Weekly. The story that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation.
The idea of a wife for Santa Claus may have been the creation of several American authors, beginning in the mid-1800s. In 1889, the poet Katherine Lee Bates popularized Mrs. Claus in the poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride. The 1956 popular song by George Melachrino, Mrs. Santa Claus, and the 1963 children’s book How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas, by Phyllis McGinley, also helped establish her character in popular imagination.
Images of Santa Claus were further popularized through Haddon Sundblom’s depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s.
The popularity of the image spawned urban legends that Santa Claus was invented by The Coca-Cola Company or that Santa wears red and white because they are the colors used to promote the Coca-Cola brand.
Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising – White Rock Beverages used Santa to sell mineral water in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923.
In the modern world, Santa’s appearance isn’t just reserved for Christmas Eve. Santa Claus now regularly appears in the weeks and days before Christmas in department stores, shopping malls and parties. The practice of this is credited to James Edgar, as he started doing this in 1890 in his Brockton, Massachusetts department store.
Having a Santa set up to take pictures with children is a ritual that dates back to 1918.
“HE sees you when you’re sleeping, HE knows when you’re awake…HE knows if you’ve been bad or good…” HE is the man of the hour, the guy that kids of all ages have been waiting for all year long…HE is Santa Claus! Think you know all there is to know about the man? If not, read on and find out some pretty amazing facts about the guy known as St. Nick, Father Christmas, Pere Noel… (P.S. If you don’t read on, HE might just leave you a stocking full of coal…just sayin’…)
‘Twas fourth century Greece where the story of Saint Nicholas was born. Saint Nicholas of Myra (which is now part of Turkey), is the primary inspiration for the man who would come to be known as Santa Claus. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor and was a religious man who devoted his entire life to Christianity.
As a matter of fact, in parts of Europe, St. Nicholas is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. He was later claimed as a patron saint by many diverse groups, from archers, sailors and children to pawnbrokers. He is also the patron saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow.
Centuries later, numerous parallels have been drawn between the man known as Santa Claus and the figure of Odin, a major god among the Germanic people. These include the beard, hat, and the cloth bag held by servants, which according to folklore, rather than carrying toys, was used to capture naughty children.
Odin was sometimes recorded as the native Germanic holiday of Yule, leading a great hunting party through the sky. Several books describe Odin as riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir that could leap great distances, giving rise to comparisons to Santa Claus’ reindeer. Children were described as placing their boots, filled with carrots, straw, or sugar, near the chimney for Odin’s flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat.
Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir’s food with gifts or candy. This practice survived in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and can be still seen in the modern practice of the hanging of stockings at the chimney in some homes. This practice in turn came to the United States through the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or stockings at the fireplace.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, Saint Nicolas, (“Sinterklaas”, often called “De Goede Sint” — “The Good Saint”) is aided by helpers commonly known as ” Zwarte Piet” (“Black Peter”) in Dutch or “Pere Fouettard” in French. There are various explanations of the origins of the helpers. The oldest explanation is that the helpers symbolize the two ravens Hugin and Munin who informed Odin on what was going on in the world.
In later stories the helper depicts the defeated devil. Another, more modern story is that Saint Nicolas liberated an Ethiopian slave boy called ‘Piter’ (from Saint Peter) from a Myra market, and the boy was so grateful he decided to stay with Saint Nicolas as a helper.
Pre-modern representations of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas eventually merged with the British character Father Christmas. Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a jolly well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe.
He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected as the “Ghost of Christmas Present” in Charles Dickens’ festive classic , A Christmas Carol.
In the British colonies of North America and later the United States, British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged further. For example, in Washington Irving’s History of New York, (1809), Sinterklaas was Americanized into “Santa Claus” (a name first used in the American press in 1773) but lost his bishop’s apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat.
The modern ideas of Santa Claus became legend however, after the publication of the poem, A Visit From St. Nicholas (better known today as The Night Before Christmas) written by Clement Clarke Moore and published in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823 . Many of his modern attributes are established in this poem, such as riding in a sleigh that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys.
St. Nick is described as being “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf” with “a little round belly”, that “shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly”. The reindeer were also named: “Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem” (Dunder and Blixem was later changed to Donner and Blitzen).
As years passed, Santa Claus evolved in popular culture into a large, heavyset person. One of the first artists to define Santa Claus’s modern image was Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist of the 19th century. In 1863, a picture of Santa illustrated by Nast appeared in Harper’s Weekly. The story that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole may also have been a Nast creation.
The idea of a wife for Santa Claus may have been the creation of several American authors, beginning in the mid-1800s. In 1889, the poet Katherine Lee Bates popularized Mrs. Claus in the poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride. The 1956 popular song by George Melachrino, Mrs. Santa Claus, and the 1963 children’s book How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas, by Phyllis McGinley, also helped establish her character in popular imagination.
Images of Santa Claus were further popularized through Haddon Sundblom’s depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s.
The popularity of the image spawned urban legends that Santa Claus was invented by The Coca-Cola Company or that Santa wears red and white because they are the colors used to promote the Coca-Cola brand.
Historically, Coca-Cola was not the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising – White Rock Beverages used Santa to sell mineral water in 1915 and then in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923.
In the modern world, Santa’s appearance isn’t just reserved for Christmas Eve. Santa Claus now regularly appears in the weeks and days before Christmas in department stores, shopping malls and parties. The practice of this is credited to James Edgar, as he started doing this in 1890 in his Brockton, Massachusetts department store.
Having a Santa set up to take pictures with children is a ritual that dates back to 1918.
World's Oldest Continuously Inhabited City
Most scholars agree that the title rightfully belongs to Jericho, a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories, about 8 miles north to the Dead Sea. The conclusion is based on radio-carbon dating on archaeological specimens from the lowest levels reached during excavations. These specimens indicate habitation of perhaps 3,000 people as early as 7800 BC.
Today the city of Jericho is inhabited chiefly by Palestinians and the total population is about 35,000.
Today the city of Jericho is inhabited chiefly by Palestinians and the total population is about 35,000.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Both Sides Need to learn!
Conservatives love humans but hate humanity.
Liberals love humanity but hate humans.
Liberals love humanity but hate humans.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Funny State Mottos
What the State Motto Really should be...
FLORIDA: The Gunshine State
ALABAMA: Literacy Ain't Everything
ARKANSAS: At Least We're not Oklahoma
ILLINOIS: Gateway to Iowa
KENTUCKY: Tobacco is a Vegetable
MAINE: For Sale
MONTANA: Land of the Big Sky, and Very Little Else
NEW JERSEY: You Have the Right to Remain Silent, You Have the Right to an Attorney
NEW MEXICO: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
NORTH CAROLINA: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
OHIO: Don't Judge us by Cleveland
PENNSYLVANIA: Cook with Coal
SOUTH DAKOTA: Closer than North Dakota
TENNESSEE: The Educashun State
TEXAS: Si Habla Ingles
UTAH: Our Jesus is Better than Your Jesus
ARIZONA: But it's a dry heat, I tell ya!
WEST VIRGINIA: We're all related
MASSACHUSETTS: Chappaquidick...'nuff said
NEVADA: Lose Your Money and Leave
RHODE Island: Too Small to Care About
OKLAHOMA: 50th Most Visited State!
HAWAII: We're All Tanned and Healthy and You're Fat and Dying!
VERMONT: Quaint and Cold
DELAWARE: No One Knows We Exist
IDAHO: Enough About the Damn Potatoes!
TEXAS: Not as Boring as Nebraska
D.C.: Now With Fewer Murders Than New Orleans
LOUISIANA State Joke: Men Working
FLORIDA: The Gunshine State
ALABAMA: Literacy Ain't Everything
ARKANSAS: At Least We're not Oklahoma
ILLINOIS: Gateway to Iowa
KENTUCKY: Tobacco is a Vegetable
MAINE: For Sale
MONTANA: Land of the Big Sky, and Very Little Else
NEW JERSEY: You Have the Right to Remain Silent, You Have the Right to an Attorney
NEW MEXICO: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
NORTH CAROLINA: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
OHIO: Don't Judge us by Cleveland
PENNSYLVANIA: Cook with Coal
SOUTH DAKOTA: Closer than North Dakota
TENNESSEE: The Educashun State
TEXAS: Si Habla Ingles
UTAH: Our Jesus is Better than Your Jesus
ARIZONA: But it's a dry heat, I tell ya!
WEST VIRGINIA: We're all related
MASSACHUSETTS: Chappaquidick...'nuff said
NEVADA: Lose Your Money and Leave
RHODE Island: Too Small to Care About
OKLAHOMA: 50th Most Visited State!
HAWAII: We're All Tanned and Healthy and You're Fat and Dying!
VERMONT: Quaint and Cold
DELAWARE: No One Knows We Exist
IDAHO: Enough About the Damn Potatoes!
TEXAS: Not as Boring as Nebraska
D.C.: Now With Fewer Murders Than New Orleans
LOUISIANA State Joke: Men Working
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Lofoten
The archipelago of Lofoten in Norway is north of the Arctic Circle. Yet throughout the year it has temperatures which belie its position. This is because of the largest positive temperature anomaly in the world relative to latitude.
It makes Lofoten an unexpected delight - its early settlers must have thought they had stumbled across an arctic paradise. Prepare to have your breath taken awa
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Amazing Race Allstars
The twelve teams competing are:
•Kynt/Vyxsin (Season 12 -- Goths, 5th place)
•Ron/Christina (Season 12 -- Father/Daughter, 2nd place)
•Amanda/Kris (Season 14 -- Dating couple, 8th place)
•Kisha/Jen (Season 14 -- Sisters, 4th place)
•Margie/Luke (Season 14 -- Mother/(Deaf) Son, 3rd place)
•Mel/Mike (Season 14 -- Gay Father/Gay Son, 6th place)
•Steve/Linda (Season 14 -- Married, 10th place)
•Jaime/Cara (Season 14 -- Cheerleaders, 2nd place) (Thanks, JF!)
•Flight Time/Big Easy (Season 15 -- Harlem Globetrotters, 4th place)
•Zev/Justin (Season 15 -- Best Friends, 9th place)
•Jet/Cord (Season 16 -- Brothers/Cowboys, 2nd place)
•Gary/Mallory (Season 17 -- Father/Daughter, 6th place)
•Kynt/Vyxsin (Season 12 -- Goths, 5th place)
•Ron/Christina (Season 12 -- Father/Daughter, 2nd place)
•Amanda/Kris (Season 14 -- Dating couple, 8th place)
•Kisha/Jen (Season 14 -- Sisters, 4th place)
•Margie/Luke (Season 14 -- Mother/(Deaf) Son, 3rd place)
•Mel/Mike (Season 14 -- Gay Father/Gay Son, 6th place)
•Steve/Linda (Season 14 -- Married, 10th place)
•Jaime/Cara (Season 14 -- Cheerleaders, 2nd place) (Thanks, JF!)
•Flight Time/Big Easy (Season 15 -- Harlem Globetrotters, 4th place)
•Zev/Justin (Season 15 -- Best Friends, 9th place)
•Jet/Cord (Season 16 -- Brothers/Cowboys, 2nd place)
•Gary/Mallory (Season 17 -- Father/Daughter, 6th place)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
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