Happy Holidays, Everyone!

[newyorklily]

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, the Solstice, Christmas or something else,



Have a very Happy Holiday!

[Redbone]

Santa's mastery of science creates Christmas magic --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aerospace engineer explains science of Santa

Raleigh, N.C. — How does Santa Claus make it all the way around the world on his sleigh, stopping at every chimney from here to Timbuktu, delivering presents to good boys and girls in just one merry night? How can he tell who's been naughty or nice? How does he know each child's secret Christmas wishes? And whose little hands really make all of those toys?

For decades, mystified scientists have chalked up Santa's power to the inexplicable wonder of magic, but a North Carolina State University aerospace engineer said Wednesday that Santa is, in fact, a scientific genius. The magic, says Larry Silverberg, is real. "Santa is not just a jolly old elf," Silverberg said. "He really has an understanding of engineering, technology, science that's far beyond our own."

It all starts at the North Pole, Silverberg has found, where Santa has an elaborate technical setup that rivals the nerve center of the CIA. An underground antenna listens to children's thoughts. "He takes those signals and finds out whether the child has been naughty or nice, and ultimately, what present the child wants," Silverberg said.

One of Santa's greatest inventions, the relativity cloud, bends time and space to allow for his round-the-world Christmas journey. "Inside the relativity cloud, Santa and his reindeer have six months to deliver the presents, but outside the relativity cloud, only a wink of an eye goes by," Silverberg said. That's why so few children have had encounters with the jolly old elf as he sneaks their presents under the tree. "When you look from inside the relativity cloud, outside everything appears frozen. When you’re outside the relativity cloud, like a child seeing Santa when he’s delivering the presents, it all happens so quickly," Silverberg said. "The spottings are very, very quick."

Getting toys inside the house is another hurdle for Santa. Not every toy can squeeze easily down the chimney – even Santa's round, jolly belly can be a pretty tight fit.Luckily, he has mastered nanotechnology. "It's so heavy, all the presents, when you add them up, that to carry them on the sleigh would actually be prohibitive," Silverberg said. So, he uses a nano-toymaker to grow the presents under the tree.

"A nano-toymaker is a device that, you take materials like cookies and soot and indigenous materials, and you actually form and manufacture (toys)," Silverberg said. "(It's) like a whole manufacturing plant, but small-scale, you make the entire present right there under the tree, wrapping and all."

As a scientist, Silverberg looks forward to Christmas each year, when he can ponder the remarkable accomplishments of one of the greatest pioneers in his field. Last year, he and some of his colleagues had the privilege of visiting Santa's workshop at the North Pole.

"The way (Santa) actually gets all the presents to kids, it's the most remarkable feat that we know of," he said. "So Santa welcomed us to show us a little bit about his technology, so that we could actually take advantage of it. Santa not only helps us with presents, he also helps us understand technology."

Reporter: Brian Shrader


Happy Holidays!!

[newyorklily]

And from some off-world friends...


http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc335/nylily/TOP%20Photos/XmasfromSerpo.jpg

[murmur]

134


Happy Holidays!!!!

[nibs]

Hmmm, being a citizen of the good ol USA- it's nice to know that we won't have to see any satellite Christmas communications between family members on the news over the next week. Talking Iraq. Welcome home all our brothers and sister- stay home.

And to all you wonderful members here at the outpost -Happy Holidays Man!


Spend some time with your loved ones! In person. On the phone. In thought. In heart and soul. And our lost ones- let's toast!

And set aside some time for yourself. If only 10 minutes. Step aside from it all- and be thankful. Do something nice for someone... If only a comment it be. Or give if you can. I need a lamborgini if anyone has a spare.... hmm

Haa... Eat!!!!!!!!!!

[Garuda]

Let me join in with the chorus:


Happy Holidays everybody

[Lee]

Merry Christmas, everybody!

http://i40.tinypic.com/xnuett.jpg

[Arkki]

Merry Christmas to everyone from freshly snowcovered Finland!

[noot]

call us when supper's ready.

http://www.trails.com/imagecache/articles/295x195/ice-fishing-tips-michigan-295x195.png

[Doc]

Merry Christmas !

[noot]

Pope rails against Anti-Christmas (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/24/us-christmas-pope-idUSTRE7BN0GG20111224)

Who can disagree?


Pope ushers in Christmas, decries commercialization
Photo
Sat, Dec 24 2011

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict ushered in Christmas for the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics on Saturday, urging humanity to see through the superficial glitter and commercialism of the season and rediscover the real significance of the humble birth of Jesus.

The 84-year-old pope, celebrating the seventh Christmas season of his pontificate, also urged that those marking the holiday in poverty, suffering or far from home not be forgotten.

At the start of a Christmas Eve service, he was wheeled up the central aisle of St Peter's Basilica standing on a mobile platform which he has been using since October.

The Vatican says it is to conserve his strength, allow more people to see him and guard against attacks such as one on Christmas Eve, 2009, when a woman lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. He is believed to suffer from arthritis in the legs.

But he seemed to be in good shape during the solemn service in Christendom's largest church as choirs sang, cantors chanted and organ music filled the centuries-old basilica.

Benedict, wearing resplendent gold and white vestments, urged his listeners to find peace in the symbol of the powerless Christ child in a world continually threatened by violence.

"Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God's humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity," he said in his homily to about 10,000 people in the basilica and millions more watching on television throughout the world.

"Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light."

The Christmas story of how Jesus, who Christians believe is the son of God, was born powerless "in the poverty of the stable" should remind everyone of the need for humility.

"... let us strip away our fixation on what is material, on what can be measured and grasped. Let us allow ourselves to be made simple by the God who reveals himself to the simple of heart," he said.

PEACEMAKERS

The pope, who earlier placed a "candle of peace" on the windowsill of his apartments as the life-size nativity scene in St Peter's Square was inaugurated, called for an end to violence, for oppressors to put down their "rods" and for all to become peacemakers.

"God has appeared - as a child. It is in this guise that he pits himself against all violence and brings a message that is peace," he said.

"At this hour, when the world is continually threatened by violence in so many places and in so many different ways, when over and over again there are oppressors' rods and bloodstained cloaks, we cry out to the Lord..." he said.

"...we suffer from the continuing presence of violence in the world, and so we also ask you: manifest your power, O God. In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors' rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours."

Those celebrating Christmas in comfortable circumstances should remember those less fortunate.

"And let us also pray especially at this hour for all who have to celebrate Christmas in poverty, in suffering, as migrants, that a ray of God's kindness may shine upon them, that they - and we - may be touched by the kindness that God chose to bring into the world through the birth of his Son in a stable," he said.

On Christmas Day, the pope will deliver his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message and blessing from the central loge of St Peter's Basilica.

He continues his Christmas and New Year's celebrations on Dec 31 with a year-end Mass of thanksgiving known by its Latin name Te Deum.

On January 1 he marks the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, on January 6 he marks the Epiphany and on January 8 will baptise several newborns in the Sistine Chapel.

He is due to visit Mexico and Cuba in March.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Peter Graff)