NORAD has confirmed that Santa and his fully-loaded, reindeer-powered sleigh took off from the North Pole and soared into the Arctic sky at 6:00 a.m. EST (5:00 a.m. CST, 4:00 a.m. MST, 3:00 a.m. PST). NORAD radar is tracking Rudolph’s bright red nose, and satellite imagery is providing minute-by-minute coverage of Santa’s location.

I like to post this every year.  ENJOY!!

“DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
“Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
“Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
“Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

“VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
“115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.”

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Well Christmas is finally upon us.  Just wanted to thank all those that have taken the time to drop by, Email, write and call me through out the year.  Sure means a lot to hear from you as it is you that keeps me writing.  Our new book “Moments In Time, should be out  around June first of 2010.  We are home for Christmas this year and family is heading our way.   So………………Merry Christmas everyone and yes, I really do mean “Merry Christmas,” not just happy holidays or happy winter break, etc.  Click On Image To Enlarge, Just For You.

This article in the paper yesterday got my attention, as my son Karl works on Base for NORAD.  Nice to know these folks are keeping an eye on old Santa.

Hey George.  what do you think of this article I read in the paper today.

Certain groups of foreign-trained workers will know within a year of applying for certification whether their training will allow them to work in Canada, the federal government said Monday.

Beginning in December 2010, foreign-trained architects, engineers, financial auditors and accountants, pharmacists and registered nurses will be among the groups that fall under the new framework, Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley said in Toronto.

Well let me tell ya.  First off it never ceases to amaze me when our powers that be get to thinking that these things can help our economy and is good for our country.  First off there is millions of folks that live right here now out of work.  There are lots of our own for that matter that have a lot of these qualities and can’t find work.  How about putting some of our own through training to do the job, as I bet most would only need a bit of upgrading to qualify.  Second thing is, if you look at all our pharmaceutical companies now, you will find way back somewhere that they are all owned and supplied by off shore countries.  Also just take a look at who is handing out the prescriptions now  a days.  Also take a look at our most of our doctors. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what is going on here.  What ever happened to; Made In Canada, or for that matter, Born and Educated  In Canada?  One has to remember as of years ago, you have to look after yourselves before you are any good to anyone else, selfish some say.  Yes it is, but that is  the correct way of doing things   So there you go.   Again My Opinion Only