Free Republic

Meadowman performs his song Government Santa

The way Dave Doerr sees it, California's elected leaders ran for the wrong offices. "They really ran to be Santa Claus, and made a mistake and filed for the Assembly and the Senate," said Doerr, the senior tax consultant for the California Taxpayers Association. Doerr's reference is to a penchant of lawmakers and governors over the past three decades to spend whatever money they have on hand - and promise even more - then let succeeding budget drafters fend for themselves. "They provide what I call the 'free lunch syndrome,' " said Doerr, who closely observed Capitol life as a...

SANTA: Hey now little fella, whatcha want fer Christmas? BARRY: I want to one day destroy America, and then Western Civilization, and then I want to have powers to have power over those babies in their mommies tummies and do what I want with them, just because... SANTA: Er, well, er, OK, whatever little guy, sounds like a big order to fill but am sure my elves can come up with something, er, like maybe a James Bond Corgie die cast miniature Aston Martin car or an Apollo moon rocket model kit, or maybe a nice basketball, hey, you like...

Yes, Christmas is over, but just found this. The parallels to what the Islamists in Bosnia and the "Political Correctness Police" in America are trying to do is striking. Ravnagora _______________ In a country with plenty of serious problems, from a flailing economy to a dysfunctional government, attacking Santa is probably not the cure-all, Anes Alic writes for ISN Security Watch. By Anes Alic in Sarajevo for ISN Security Watch _____________ Thanks to a rather absurd, and so far unpopular, move by officials in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, Santa will not being coming down the chimneys of public schools this...

This story may have been posted already. If so, sorry for the redundant postCOVINA, Calif. — The ex-husband of one of the nine people killed at a Christmas Eve party has received demands from a landlord to pay the dead woman's rent.

COVINA, Calif. - A man who carried out a Christmas Eve massacre and arson dressed as Santa at the home of his former in-laws apparently intended to flee the U.S., but his plans were dashed after the inferno he created severely burned his arms and melted his red costume onto his body, police said Friday. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, a laid-off aerospace worker, apparently shot some of his nine victims execution-style in a plot to destroy his ex-wife's family after a costly divorce that was finalized last week. He had an airline ticket for a Christmas morning flight to Canada and...

COVINA, Calif. – Law enforcement officials in Southern California say the gunman who killed nine people in a Christmas Eve bloodbath at his ex-in-laws' Covina home intended to flee to Canada but was severely burned before he killed himself. Police said Friday that after the shooting, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo used a homemade device to spray racing fuel around the home and that the vapor was ignited by a pilot light or candle. He suffered third-degree burns on both arms when it exploded. Authorities say Pardo's Santa suit actually melted onto his body before he fled. After Pardo shot himself...

Iraqi scouts get a visit from Santa Claus, played by civilian contractor Joseph Lord, during a holiday-themed scouting event on Victory Base Complex, Dec. 20, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante. VICTORY BASE COMPLEX — Cries of delight filled the scouting compound here when Iraqi boy and girl scouts received a surprise visit and presents from Santa Claus during a holiday-themed scouting event, Dec. 20. The Victory Base Council military and civilian volunteers gather once a week with local Iraqi children to participate in arts and crafts, team building events and other scout related activities, but this...

COVINA, Calif. (AP) - Stinging from an acrimonious divorce, a man plotting revenge against his ex-wife dressed up like Santa, went to his former in-laws' Christmas Eve party and slaughtered at least six people before killing himself hours later. Three people were listed as missing after Bruce Pardo's rampage - his ex-wife and her parents - and it was feared their remains were among the ashes of the home, which Pardo set ablaze using a bizarre homemade device that sprayed flammable liquid.

Cajun Night Before Christmas Twas the night before Christmas an' all t'ru de house, Dey don't a ting pass Not even a mouse. De chirren been nezzle good snug on de flo', An' Mama pass de pepper t'ru de crack on de do'. De Mama in de fireplace done roas' up de ham, Sit up de gumbo an' make de bake yam. Den out on de by-you dey got such a clatter, Make soun' like old Boudreau done fall off his ladder. I run like a rabbit to got to de do', Trip over de dorg an' fall on de...

It’s not easy being Santa in Iraq these days. The Christian population of the country has almost halved in the last 5 years, from about 1.5 million to 750,000. Christians in Iraq have been subject to terror and intimidation and many no longer feel safe in their homeland.

12/24/2008 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- Santa Claus visited the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command Tracks Santa Battle Cab in preparation for his Christmas Eve journey Dec. 23 at Peterson Air Force Base. Santa received a Federal Aviation Administration, weather and air mission brief from Maj. Gen. John H. Borderlon, the chief of staff for NORAD and Northern Command. This year marks the 50th anniversary of NORAD's tracking of Santa on his flight around the world on Christmas Eve. NORAD took over the mission in 1958 from its predecessor, the Continental Defense...

ScienceDaily (Dec. 24, 2008) — Having kids believe there's a jolly man in a red suit who visits on Christmas Eve isn't detrimental, although some parents can feel they're outright lying to their children, according to a new analysis by Serge Larivée. "When they learn the truth, children accept the rules of the game and even go along with their parents in having younger children believe in Santa," says Larivée, a psycho-education professor at the Université de Montréal. "It becomes a rite of passage in that they know they are no longer babies."

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages. Santa has begun his around the world visit to all of those who have been good. Follow Santa in his travels by clicking on the link. Get the kids up to the computer and watch their amazement as Santa gets near.

Christmas for the Commandos in Afghanistan was always going to be different - but no one could have predicted just how different. One minute they were singing carols at dusk beneath a mellow sun in the baked bare wasteland of Helmand province while wearing festive Santa hats, the next they were firing mortars after their Christmas Day service came under attack from the Taliban. So rapid was the reaction of Royal Marines of 40 Commando that within less than a minute of the first "contact" from the Taliban's machine guns, they had sprinted the 200 metres to their mortar lines...

Part of the fun of Christmas is the visit to see Santa at the mall. If you've never done this as an adult, try it out! It's a great way to recapture a bit of your childhood and relive a bit of the magic that goes with Christmas! Of course as an adult, we don't take it seriously. We know it's just a mall Santa and not the "real thing." You'd have to be a stark raving nutball to believe otherwise, right? NOTE: The Author of this comic requests that you visit his web site and please refrain from copying...

JOPLIN, Mo. (Dec. 22) - An anonymous donor has come through again for the Salvation Army, dropping five cashier's checks for $10,000 each into kettles at the city's two Wal-Mart stores. It's the fifth straight year someone has given $50,000 to the Salvation Army's annual holiday fundraiser without taking credit for the generous gesture. And while Capt. Jason Poff says he doesn't budget for the money in advance, but he admits that it's something he does hope for each year.

An alleged gang member landed on the naughty list in California last week after flashing gang signs while getting his picture taken with Santa. The young man was arrested at a southern California shopping mall. The 18-year-old's probation officer discovered the incident occurred because the teen had the picture on his keychain during a probation check.

’Tis the season … to be green. No, not even the traditions of Christmas are immune to the efforts of global warming activism. No, it’s not Al Gore’s, “How Greenhouse Gases Stole Christmas,” but a children’s story is pushing a similar green agenda. The recently published book by Anne Margaret Lewis called “Santa Goes Green” is about a boy who writes Santa and asks him to help raise awareness about global warming so that his adopted polar bear won’t lose its home. “You see, it’s like this Santa,” the book reads. “I’ve adopted a polar bear named Leopold. He is...

BERLIN (AFP) — Santa beware! Activists in Germany are waging an international campaign to do away with old Father Christmas and say they are gaining ground thanks to the global economic meltdown. Armed with child-friendly stickers, web-savvy promoters and chocolate figurines, the "Santa-Free Zone" movement says it is gathering steam this year against what it calls the hollow commercialisation of Christmas. Launched by a German Catholic priest in 2002, the campaign aims to knock Santa off his pedestal and replace what they see as a cheap, American import with the real thing: Saint Nicholas. "The movement is intended to raise...

This has gotten so ridiculous that Santa is now asking for his bailout!

Merry Christmas!!! We peeked early ...Hiding behind each door on this politically-themed advent calendar is a person from President-elect Obama’s campaign trail past -- depicting each as a caricature from traditional Christmas tales. Here are the 25 Days of Obama’s Christmas: #1 Oprah -- The Sugar Plum Fairy #2 Hillary Clinton (showing the puckering former first lady under the mistletoe) #3 George W. Bush -- The Ghost of Christmas Past #4 Mayor Richard M. Daly -- The Ghost of Christmas Present #5 David Axelrod -- Wise man I #6 David Plouffe -- Wise man II #7 Rahm Emanuel --...

PALOMINAS — Tis the season for giving, and students of Palominas Elementary School have taken that giving spirit to heart. The children have been gathering donations of pet food and supplies for dogs and cats housed in the Bisbee Animal Shelter. Organized by first-grade teacher Hope Geminder, students in her class have been the project’s primary contributors. The first-graders have collected dog and cat food, treats and toys, along with a few horse-related items. “This is the second time I’ve organized a pet food drive,” Geminder said on Wednesday as students loaded the donated items into her car. “Most of...

FORT HUACHUCA — Santa has landed. But instead of the jolly red-suited man coming in on a rooftop, he pulled up in an Army RC-12, twin-prop airplane. While the battalion’s motto is “Silent Warriors,” it was far from being quiet. Yells of happiness came from the throats of Santa’s most devoted adherents — the kids. One little girl, who had taken her shoes off, jumped up and down on her stocking-covered toes, screaming, “It’s Santa, it’s Santa, he’s here.” As he approached the open hangar doors, Santa exclaimed, “They got me here on time,” adding he was thankful the party...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2008 – Among North American Aerospace Command’s diverse and challenging missions, none is more gratifying -- or as downright fun -- as tracking Santa Claus each year for children around the world, the NORAD commander said this week. “It is the most wonderful experience you can ever imagine to talk to children from literally all over the world who want to know where Santa is and ‘When is he going to be at my house?’” Air Force Gen. Victor E. “Gene” Renuart told local, state and federal leaders during a Dec. 16 symposium here on community resilience....

Flanked by officials from the United Elf Toytinkerers union, SantaCorp CEO Kris Kringle today told the House Ways and Means Committee that without immediate government financial help, his firm would be forced to declare bankruptcy, lay off thousands of elves and reindeer, and potentially cancel its annual worldwide Christmas Eve toy delivery. Continued

Costco no longer puts “Christmas� on its holiday merchandising. Sellers want us to buy to help the financial slump but the reason for buying is not allowed to appear.A student wished me a “Merry Winter Break.�A mother of four tells me that even things like Santa have disappeared, just lights and wintery scenes. I did see a Santa on Wisconsin Avenue, and you could still sit on his lap for a photo. In retrospect, the Bing Crosby singing of “Happy Holidays� and even “White Christmas� was the beginning of the evaporation of Christmas. “Don’t impose Christmas on us� means “Keep...

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) - Gunmen staged four attacks on police in Ciudad Juarez within a half-hour period -- killing four officers in the city overrun by drug violence. Authorities are investigating whether last night's attacks were coordinated. Many officers have quit out of fear for their lives, often after their names have appeared on hit lists left in public. Another such list naming 26 officers was found today at a dog racing track. It was found above the bodies of four civilian men gunned down at the track - one of them wearing a Santa Claus hat.

TODAY IS the 40th anniversary of one of the most maligned, misunderstood and totally justified incidents in Philadelphia history: The day Eagles fans booed Santa Claus. If, like me, you find it hard to fathom that the event occurred in 1968 - and not, say, last year - it's because no one will let us forget it. In October, during the World Series, an NPR commentator warned that the Tampa Bay Rays should watch their backs in Philly, "alleged City of Brotherly Love, where sports fans have been known to boo Santa." When Sarah Palin was scheduled to drop the...

He's a huge, strangely dressed man who sneaks into people's homes at night, then yells, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" at the top of his lungs. Who wouldn't be afraid of Santa Claus? Authors Denise Joyce and Nancy Watkins know at least 250 toddlers who are. The two recently published a book called "Scared of Santa: Scenes of Terror in Toyland" that shows photos of children on St. Nick's lap -- most of whom are desperate to leave. "Scared of Santa"

CAMP DENALI, Alaska, Dec. 12, 2008 – Children from rural Alaskan communities were treated to an early Christmas this year, thanks to the Alaska National Guard’s “Operation Santa Claus.” Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin helps Santa Claus pass out gifts during “Operation Santa Claus” in Kivalina, Alaska, Dec. 6, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Paizley Ramsey  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The community relations and support program provides toys, books and school supplies for young people in communities across the state. The 50-year tradition continued this week in Kivalina, a city in Alaska’s Northwest Arctic borough. More than...

Want to witness a religious circus this holiday season? Look no further than the third floor of the state capitol in Olympia. A controversial Kansas church known for blaming American casualties in Iraq on nationwide tolerance for homosexuality has asked the state for permission to erect a sign stating that "Santa Claus will take you to hell." The sign would join a Christian Nativity set, three signs mocking atheism, and the one that started it all - the sign from the atheist group Freedom From Religion whose message that "religion hardens hearts and enslaves minds" sparked a furious nationwide debate...

Dear Santa, Did you really get GM what he wanted this year? Hasn’t he been naughty for several years now? What really blows my mind is not that GM failed to get what he deserved, but that you actually exist. I guess this makes me one of your elves, even though I am plain lousy at arts and crafts. All this time, parents have been wrestling with how to handle this Santa business with their kids. Should I lie and play along? Should I tell them it’s a ploy retailers use to get their hands on hard-earned money, only to...

Tune in the news shows any Sunday morning - or MSNBC anytime 24/7 - and you’ll hear some pundit bleating about how Barack Obama is the next Reagan, or FDR or even the next Lincoln. The guy hasn’t been sworn in yet, and they’re already measuring Mt. Rushmore to see if there’s room for (as the Obama plate TV ads put it) “his confident smile and kind eyes.” Sorry, guys. Not even close. America didn’t elect the next Churchill or Cicero. We elected President Santa Claus. I’m not saying this just because St. Nick and the sainted Barack both smoke....

Fans of the Rankin-Bass animated Christmas classic The Year Without a Santa Claus will remember the characters Heat Miser and Snow Miser. This holiday season, the quarreling siblings are back in ABC Family’s new original animated special A Miser Brothers’ Christmas, which premieres Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Mickey Rooney returns as the voice of Santa Claus and George S. Irving reprises the role of Heat Miser. The debut is part of the network’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming event. Santa’s new chief mechanic, Tinsel, has created a speedy, new high-tech sleigh for Christmas, but North Wind has...

My personal favorite

I looked and looked for this story I had heard as a kid. I finally found it on one website while searching for it online. It really puts you in the Christmas spirit: TEACH THE CHILDREN THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS One December night, many years ago, I had just finished decorating for Christmas when I heard a noise at the front of the house. I turned on the porch light and opened the door. To my surprise just as I stepped outside, I saw Santa Claus climbing out of his sleigh. He placed his fingers over his lips, silencing...

SIERRA VISTA — Sierra Vista children were able to give Santa Claus an early heads up on their Christmas wishes on Saturday. Kris Kringle and his wife were at the Ethel Berger Center as part of the Department of Parks and Leisure Services Annual Children’s Holiday Party. Along with the man from the North Pole, children could write letters to Santa, make Christmas cards, get their faces painted or play bowling for snowmen, among other fun games, said Laura Killberg-Dolak, recreation supervisor for the Department of Parks and Leisure Services. Meeting Santa was free, but parents also could purchase tickets...

"Kids advise Obama. School children across the country write to the president-elect with advice on what problems to tackle first."

Kansas City lawyer and supporter of Barack Obama, Mary Kay Green, has filed a lawsuit in federal court asking that Arizona Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign be ordered to cease its negative portrayal of Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill) on the grounds that it is adversely affecting her health. “I used to sleep easy in the confident expectation that Senator Barack Obama would be our next president,” Green stated. “But Senator McCain and his running mate’s persistent attempts to undermine Obama’s ascent to the office of president are causing me terror of the heart, anxiety and grave fear. My health has...

Voters in West Virginia will have to decide between Barack Obama, John McCain and Santa Claus. Santa is one of 14 write-in presidential candidates registered with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office.

On December 28th, 2004, I discovered a Kuiper belt object brighter than anything anyone had ever seen before. Being only a few days after Christmas, I naturally nicknamed it Santa... How would I have known back in 2004 that Santa would be the single most interesting object ever discovered in the Kuiper belt? It has a moon -- wait, no, two moons! It is oblong, sort of like a football (American style) that has been deflated and stepped on. And it rotates end over end every 4 hours, significantly faster than anything else large known anywhere in the solar system......

There are still 167 days until Christmas, but the Amalgamated Order of Real-Bearded Santas will try mustering up some early holiday spirit this coming weekend in Kansas City at their convention. If only they weren't at each other's bearded throats. The Amalgamated Santas, one of the nation's largest Santa groups, are dealing with a schism in their ranks. The rift has left burly bearded men accusing one another of bylaw violations, profiteering and behaving in un-Santa-like ways. Some Santas have filed complaints of wrongdoing against others in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The once-fraternal Santa impersonators began to split last year when...

According to a report in New Scientist, the youthful looking family of objects were found in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy objects beyond Neptune. They appear puzzlingly fresh-faced, despite the fact that they probably formed in a collision more than a billion years ago. The largest member of the family, a rapidly tumbling blimp-shaped object called 2003 EL61, was discovered in 2005. In 2007, astronomers found five smaller objects travelling in similar orbits. Their paths suggested they all formed a single object that was broken apart in a collision more than a billion years ago. Now, a team...

Suspected Pedophile Nabbed Police arrested a suspected pedophile in New Jersey after launching a public appeal in the wake of a two-year international manhunt. Chip Reid reportshttp://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4081758n (AP) A rare international alert seeking a man shown in dozens of raw child porn images quickly led to the arrest of a small-time actor, who painted faces at children's parties and performed as "the best Santa Claus anyone has ever seen." Wayne Nelson Corliss told authorities he had sex with three boys in Thailand six years ago, an experience he described as "euphoria," a prosecutor said Thursday at Corliss' first court...

NEWARK, N.J. - A rare international alert seeking a man shown in dozens of raw child porn images quickly led to the arrest of a small-time actor, who painted faces at children's parties and performed as "the best Santa Claus anyone has ever seen." Wayne Nelson Corliss told authorities he had sex with three boys in Thailand six years ago, an experience he described as "euphoria," a prosecutor said Thursday at Corliss' first court appearance. The arrest of the bespectacled, gray-haired 58-year-old at his Union City apartment late Wednesday capped a two-day global manhunt, just the second time Interpol has...

We usually talk about the bad and ugly... but Christmas Eve, I witnessed the true Christmas Spirit... shopping at the local market for last minute stuffs, noticed a mom and her 2 daughters, not talking and mom looking stressed, just duty shopping. As they passed another female shopper, the shopper said something to the mom to the effect "did you hear, they spotted Santa a few minutes ago over China, and they think he'll be here around midnight" -- the girls got a look of surprise on their faces, and they gasped and put their hands over their mouths and...

For some Christmas Eve fun how far can you throw Santa? Click to throw Santa.

Even if recast from the unnerving red-clad (red, Republican, get it?) bearded geezer of yore to the more kid-friendly persona of Mr. Rogers, as David Grimes recommended in Sunday's Denver Post, Father Christmas remains a no-nonsense apostle of good conduct, rigorous standards, and time-honored traditions. The "Santa's Coming" song, even when butchered by Springsteen, is just the opposite of that favorite left-liberal anthem, "Anything Goes." Jeffrey Bell, writing in the Weekly Standard, offers a great Christmas gift for all of us on the right with this masterful summary of what the left really wants -- a total repudiation of St....

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Some gifts from Kris Kringle are better kept wrapped. A man in a Santa hat was arrested Sunday night for investigation of drunken driving after he was spotted outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood wearing a wig, a red lace camisole and a purple G-string, police said. ... The suspect was booked into jail after his blood-alcohol level measured just above the state's legal limit of .08, police said. He was later released on $5,000 bail. The man, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 280 pounds, also wore black leg warmers and...