Don’t read if you’re under 21.

The topic for Black Friday is explosive, sensitive and not for the eyes of the young and impressionable. The following is taken from papers given to me last year by a Baptist minister – I kid you not – a man not only of good faith but trustworthy to a fault.

So it must be true. Yet it has taken me a year to rush into print with it. If I’d seen this when I was a kiddie it would have troubled me.

But times have changed. Yo-yo spinning, baseball cap-wearing, Internet surfing dudes and babes seem to be made of less shockable stuff these days. I would still counsel against showing this to anyone under 21 though.

Here goes – a thesis discussing the existence of Santa Claus:

1. No know species of reindeer can fly but there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified. While most of these are insects and germs, this does not completely rule out fluing reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.

2. There are two billion children (persons under 18) in the world. But since Santa doesn’t appear to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15 per cent of the total – 378 million.

At an average of 3.5 children per household, that 91.8 million homes. One presumes there’s at least one good child in each.

3. Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different times zones and the rotation of the Earth. Assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical), this works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each household with good children, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been provided, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house.

Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are distributed evenly around the Earth (which, of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accepts), we are talking about a kilometre per household, a total trip of 112 million km, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus eating etc.

This means that Santa’s sleigh is moving about 1040km per second, 3000 times the speed of sound. For the purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 42km per second – a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 24 kmh.

4. The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming each child gets nothing more than a medium-sized Lego set (1kg), the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tonnes, not counting Santa, who is described invariably as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 140kg. Even granting that flying reindeer could pull 10 times the normal, we cannot do the job with eight or nine.

We therefore need 214,200 reindeer. This increases the payload – not even counting the weight of the sleigh – to 353,430 tonnes. Again for comparison, this is four times the weight of the cruise liner, QEII.

5. 353,000 tonnes travelling at 1040km per second create enormous air resistance – this will heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The lead pair or reindeer will absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each.

In short, they will burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and create deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporised within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500 times greater than gravity.

A 10kg Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) will be pinned to the back of his sleigh by more than 2 million kg of force.

I must end matters there, sparing readers the gruesome conclusion.

Who’d be Santa Claus?

[NB I have typed this just as it appeared, so “km” in the second paragraph of point 3 should read “kilometres”, and the eating referred to in the same paragraph has already been taken care of in the first paragraph of that point. Is the Ulysses space probe actually on Earth or still in space?]

 "After much deliberation, I selected someone who represents my feelings about this great country of ours," Obama said during the press conference later that day. "I chose someone imbued with the spirit of American idealism- someone who, much like myself, is entirely comprised of hope and belief and bright white light. America, all you have to do is believe, and you'll receive the present of a better future for our children along with tasty candy canes. Conversely, if you don't see a complete turn-around in the nation's domestic policy and image abroad, it's because you didn't believe enough."

As soon as the messages began flowing from campaign headquarters, pundits wrung their hands over whether Obama had made a good choice- or even a Constitutionally viable one. At first there was a great deal of doubt as to whether Claus could legally take the oath of office given his murky and often misunderstood background. Most people don't even think he's real, let alone an American citizen but as it turns out Kristoff Kringle was born in American-controlled region near the North Pole and thus has as much right to the Presidency as John McCain who came into this world on an Air Force base in Panama.

"Now that I've had a chance to think about it, Santa Claus is the perfect choice- why didn't we think of this?!" shouted MSNBC's Chris Matthews, a bit of foam forming at the corner or his mouth. "He neutralizes Obama's inexperience because he's technically about two hundred years old. And even his age isn't an issue like it is for McCain because Claus is, I believe, magical or something. Plus, he's Santa Claus for crying out loud. He's been buying votes one toy at a time since the AARP generation was in diapers."

Though it may not have been obvious from the start, there are some significant downsides to choosing the legendary Father Christmas as a running mate. First off, Claus represents a very specific religious holiday, and yet he is reviled among the evangelical Christian community for the secularization and commercialization of that same holiday. And thus the Obama/Claus team run the risk of excluding the millions of voters who aren't Christian and offending those who are.

And worst of all, Santa Claus is liberal as hell. His entire raison d'etre is built around the redistribution of wealth through gift-giving. In that sense, he makes Tedd Kennedy look like Strom Thurmond, not a good sign when you're trying to appeal to the centrist general public. Without a doubt, the conservative 527's are going to rip Claus to shreds between now and November. As a matter of fact, a new ad from a group calling itself Americans for America issued a web-based attack ad just moments after the announcement hit the mainstream media: "Santa Claus wants to raise your taxes, give aid and comfort to our enemies' children, and negotiate with terrorists. Is this what America really deserves?"

Then again, if Claus can help deliver universal healthcare and a better education system with a twitch of his nose, none of that will matter. Now that the shock has worn off a bit, the idea appears to be taking hold within the body politic. In the wake of the announcement, Obama volunteers reportedly fielded tens of thousands of calls and are now selling "Join Santa's Social Network '08" bumper stickers as fast as the elves can make them.

Mayor Ryan Coonerty, 34, city Economic Development Manager Jeremy Neuner, 34, and attorney Caleb Baskin, 32, signed a lease earlier this month to open NextSpace in the former County Bank Building on Pacific and Cooper streets. They hope to sublet the 10,800-square-foot office space above Pacific Wave Surf Shop to entrepreneurs who want to work independently, but crave companionship.

For around $200 per month, freelancers, entrepreneurs and home office workers can have access to Wi-Fi, couches and tables and reserve a conference room. For $1,000 per month, they can have their own private office with a lock on the door, overlooking downtown.

The concept, which was pioneered in San Francisco about three years ago, is simple: human beings are, by nature, social creatures. So even when they work alone, they like to be near other people, Neuner said. It also gives those who spend their days online at LuLu Carpenter's coffee shop a legitimate office in which to meet clients and hold meetings.

Those who choose to work at NextSpace "are getting a membership in a community," Baskin said.In addition, bringing together those who now spread out at cafes around town could help spawn new ideas, which might lead to new local businesses. That effort is crucial, organizers say, in a city that has seen its tax base shrink over recent years and its light industry all but disappear.

"Talent, ideas, capital, it's all here," Neuner said. "Two people with a rolling white board and a cafe space down the road becomes a company."

In addition, the men said, companies with a lot of employees who live in Santa Cruz -- such as Google or Apple -- could rent out a few work carrels or a private office in NextSpace downtown instead of having those workers drive Highway 17 every day.

"We wouldn't have done this unless we knew there was a demand," said Neuner, who will drop from full- to part-time work with the city's Redevelopment Agency once NextSpace officially opens Oct. 1, to spend more time on the new business. Over time, he could work for the city on a contract-only basis as he increases his hours at NextSpace.

The business is not considered a conflict of interest for Coonerty, as council members typically hold a full-time job outside their work as elected officials. However, he would not be allowed to vote on anything related to Neuner's employment or awarding him any contract. NextSpace likely will not do any business with the city, Coonerty said.

Redevelopment Agency Director Bonnie Lipscomb said she supports Neuner's venture, and that it will fit in well in Santa Cruz.

"It's exactly the type of business we should be supporting in the downtown," Lipscomb said. "It's fulfilling a need in Santa Cruz."

The lease for NextSpace began this month, and some workers could begin moving in next week, although no contracts have been signed yet. Construction needs to be done before the grand opening this fall.

Membership options will include a "cafe" membership, where workers can drop in with their laptops and cell phones and use the NextSpace Wi-Fi while sitting on a couch or at a table. Those with "carrel" memberships will have a reserved desk where they can store their stuff, and those with a private office will have a locking door. Memberships run between about $175 to $1,000 per month, depending on what type of space a worker wants.

In addition, those who need help creating a business plan or finding investors for a startup should be able to consult a panel of experts the men expect to have available to their clients, they said. NextSpace is already helping to sponsor a freelance "boot camp" this weekend, which about 200 people have signed up for.

The three men said they plan to make money on the membership payments and other services, like hosting meetings for outside companies who want to hold a retreat in Santa Cruz. Each has contributed around $15,000 of their own money to get the business going, Coonerty said. No city money was spent on the business.

The effort continues in the tradition of Santa Cruz NEXT, a group started by Coonerty and Baskin in an effort to get young Santa Cruz residents, many of whom drive over the hill to work, invested and involved in their community. Over the past year, the group's hundreds of members have sampled wine and food from eateries around town while learning about local artists, housing issues and the city's planning department.

As a result, more young people are showing up at City Council and other public meetings, and volunteering on city advisory boards, among other places.

Our next stop was in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. I couldn’t believe but it supposed to be the biggest town in Europe (it lays on huge surface). I’d never thought so but it is what I’ve read somewhere. Anyhow many of Rovaniemi’s visitors come to cross the Arctic Circle, which lies 8km north of town. This has also become the “official” residence of Santa Claus, who lives in a tacky complex of tourist shops and ho-ho-hos most cheerfully as the euros roll in!

The town itself is quite uninteresting. After the complete destruction by the Germans in 1944, it was rebuilt from a plan by Alvar Aalto (the most famous Finnish architect) with the main streets radiating in the shape of reindeer antlers, something impossible to notice on the ground.

I had one interesting discussion with one guy in Rovaniemi’s church abut history of the town. Namely I knew that Germans lived there and they lived very happy lives with locals, namely Finns were German allies in the war against Russia. There are numerous objects in museum about that and I must say I was very surprised how lovely symbiosis between Nazis and Finns were in Rovaniemi. Eventually when Russians were unstoppable German (but also Finn!), residents on Rovaniemi decided to leave the town, and they set up the fire. Indeed almost entire town has been destroyed but that wasn’t result of combat or something similar, it was actually decision made by both Germans and Finns so that Russians find only ruins. But Russians never reached Rovaniemi (what a bummer). Therefore everything in the town is new.

The most interesting thing in Rovaniemi is one of the best themed museums I saw, Arktikum. Arktikum is absolutely breathtaking even from the first look: it has beautifully designed glass tunnel stretching out to the lake shore. It is one of the Finland’s best museums. Exhibition spaces include superb static and interactive displays focusing on Arctic flora and fauna, as well as on the peoples of Arctic Europe, Asia and North America. The level of information is very impressive; this is really a place to learn about the unique northern environments. There are also good displays of canoes, dwellings, fishing materials and costumes of various northern peoples, including very good exhibition on the Sami. There is also room devoted to the history of Rovaniemi itself. A scale mode shows the destruction wrought by the Axis retreat in 1944.

And Arktikum is pretty much all you have to see in Rovaniemi. Since it is so far north there were no nights and we were roaming through the streets in the center and we were the only ones. No locals, no open bars no anything. Only tourists equally confused by the empty streets, indeed it was close to midnight but it looked like it’s 5pm. So we basically waited to continue our journey and that time we used for some shopping.

Our next stop was Santa Claus village. As I said it is totally tourist trap but we were willingly jumping in it with smile on our face. I don’t believe in Santa Claus, I never did (I feel like a moron cause I’m writing this) but saying such thing there was worse than any blasphemy. Cynical I am I tried to spoil everything with asking about background of the village and I found out that everything there is private, it has an owner and will soon go on the stock market! However no one paid attention on those facts so I didn’t have too much choice and decided to pretend that Santa exists.

Gosh, nowhere else in Finland is there such an unadulterated shrine to commercialism. The Santa Claus Main Post Office is here, and it receives half a million letters each year from children all over the world. I must admit it looks absolutely lovely and in spite it was 1^st August inside was everything Christmas-like. As tacky and trite as this may sound, it is all good fun and you can send a postcard home with an official Santa stamp (I really loved that!). Also for 7 euros you can arrange to receive a personal letter from Santa with a calendar which will be delivered at Christmas and I’ve done that. I told you that I couldn’t fight and decided willingly to jump in the trap).

In a nearby building is the home of Santa himself. To reach him you have to pass through the tempting shop and then enter in something like a cave with lava beneath your feet, enormous clock above your head, you can hear how the time is ticking out, the sound is actually more like from house of horror that from the Santa’s house; and as an icing on the cake comes that equally terrifying “Ho!Ho!Ho!” (no I didn’t have miserable childhood, actually it was quite opposite!). Therefore, you can meet Santa, shake his hand, he will ask you “Where are you from my friend” and then he’ll think how absolutely fabulous is that we are from Serbia (“no shit! What is so fantastic about it?”) and that he’ll come to visit us in December and until then we should behave good (“Hello!! I’m 30 years old, I can’t be good! And we aren’t celebrating Christmas in December!”). And then one dwarf will take a camera and make a memorabilia you’re suppose to worship; memorabilia that costs 30 euros! The price is however the same if five (or more) of us is on the photograph so of course we decided to fill the photo and pay 6 euros each. I guess there’s no need to mention that it is NOT allowed to take your own photograph. How very much in the spirit of Christmas!

The main thing here in Santa Village is actually the Arctic Circle, called Napapiiri in Suomi. The Arctic Circle  is the southernmost line at which the midnight sun can be seen, at a latitude of roughly 66.5° north. From here and up on the north sun never sets in midsummer and never rises in midwinter. Even though the Arctic Circle can be crossed by road at several points in Lapland, the official Arctic Circle marker is right here, conveniently painted on the roadside – and built right on top of it is above mentioned the “official” Santa Claus Village. My friends and I were having great fun crossing the line painted on the asphalt (supposedly marking the circle. Supposedly because the Circle can actually shift several meters daily) in order to be awarded with Arctic Circle certificates (which cost 4.50 euros and which I paid).

Before I leave Rovaniemi I must mention amazing buffet we had in nearby hotel. I shamelessly admit that we eaten that bloody breakfast as if it’s our last one. We looked like we just escaped hunger in our own country but hey who wouldn’t: several types of cheese, hams, all sorts of vegetables, several types of breads just baked, fried bacon, and sausages, meatballs, pancakes, all sorts of fruits, apples, grapes, oranges, watermelons, melons, mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, yogurts (fruit and regular), zillion sorts of jams, muffins… oh and I believe there was part with “healthy food” (with cereals etc) but I didn’t go there. OK I had intention to skip it but I figure out it will be stupid so yes there was beans as well *blush* I still can’t believe I eaten beans for breakfast!

And so we leave Rovaniemi with full stomach to continue our journey in deep Lapland. Our next stop was Inari, capital of Sami people. Inari is small town which lays on the banks on Lake Inari (I think second largest in Finland) and is pace of another beautiful museum; Siida. The exhibition brings to life Sami origins, culture, traditions, lifestyle and present-day struggles. There is a timeline introduction to the history of the area and a superb, detailed display on the Arctic environment, flora and fauna. Outside is an open-air museum featuring Sami buildings, handicrafts and artifacts, including several dastardly traps for bears, foxes and wolves. Sadly we didn’t have much time for museum because we had to catch a boat to Ukko Island, sacred place for Sami people.

The island of Ukko is 300m long, 100m wide and no less than 30m high. The name of the island is Ukonsaari which means “Ukko’s Island” or “Old Man’s Island”. In Inari Lappish the island is called “Aijjih”, which means “Old Man” but also “thunder”. Aijjih, “Thunder”, was the most important pagan god of the Lapps and Ukonsaari Island was one of his shrines.

One of the last traces of the cult of Aijjih may have been the custom of throwing a coin or two into the water near the island while wishing for a favourable wind. On the island is a cave which we couldn’t enter (while my friend and I were searching for it and trust me if we were successful we would enter and don’t know what would Old Man say (or even worse, do) on that especially cause my friend was female and the island was forbidden ground for women). Before shrine cavern has been discovered, semicircle of reindeer antlers has been found which was exact as on some woodprints. Woodprint portrayed a man worshiping a “seita” (Lappish stone idol) surrounded by a pile of reindeer antlers. Aijjih was probably worshiped with similar rites.

Small excavation in the shrine cavern has discovered, aside from animal bones, a small silver ring adorned with filigree, most likely a fragment of an earring or brow ring. Similar rings have been found in eastern Russia, where they probably date to the first century A.D. The use of Ukko Island as a shrine may thus date back as much as a thousand years.

Ukko Island is one of Finland’s most important ancient monuments and is protected by law so every activities beside visit are forbidden.

I’m fascinated with Sami culture (something I knew nothing about before this trip and sadly I can’t say I know much even now. Why I didn’t bought some books about them I’ll never understand. It was late reaction :( ) so I’ll write more about them.

According to stone carvings and archaeological evidence, this region was first settled soon after the last Ice Age around 10.000 years ago. The early inhabitants were nomadic people: hunters, fishers and food-gatherers, who migrated with the seasons. They hunted wild reindeer, fished and harvested berries in the summer months, and traded meat, clothing and handicrafts.  I bought shaman drum (I just had to) and two mugs (kuksa) made of birch.

Early Sami society was based on siida, small groups comprising a number of families who controlled particular hunting and fishing grounds. Families lived in a traditional dwelling resembling the tepee or wigwam of native North Americans. It could be easily set up as a temporary shelter while following the migrating reindeer herds.

The natural environment was essential to the Sami existence: they worshiped the sun (father), earth (mother) and wind and believed all things in nature had a soul. The starts and constellations provided mythology – North Star, the brightest in the sky was the pillar of the World. The Sami believed in many gods and their link with the gods was through the shaman, the most important member of community. By beating a drum, the shaman could go into a trance and communicate with the gods. The drums featured in drawings depicting life, nature and gods, usually with the sun as the central image.

Traditional legends, rules of society and fairytales were handed down through generations by storytelling. A unique form of storytelling was the yoik, a chant in which the singer would use words, or imitate the sounds of animals and nature to describe experiences. You can buy CD with yoik accompanied by instruments.

Many Sami legends remain, including those of miracle-working witches who could fly and transform themselves into strange creatures. Conspicuous lakes or rocks became holly sites and the island of Ukko is precisely being best known of these.

And Ukko is really magical. It was very windy and cold day (Inari Lake is frozen 7 months in a year and when it’s not it’s very cold!) but it was worth of all troubles. Indeed there’s nothing more than nature but nature is breathtaking! And of course there is a history hidden it that beauty. Near Ukko island is another one which served as a graveyard. Namely in ancient time people believed that dad should rest I peace, far away from settlements. The idea has been abandoned when wild animals started to dig graves searching for bones.

We were sleeping in Kaamanen, small village some 30 km north from Inari. And there’s nothing much I should write about it. It’s a place full of bungalows on the lake shore. Of course it has sauna sop it was possible to run away from it straight into the lake. The nights were fascinating indeed, I mean there were no nights. I spoke with our hosts and they reminded they also have 6 month without day. I would really like to see that!

Oh I shouldn’t skip Sami fashion which is fantastic but horribly expensive. You can see part of it on the pictures me modeling (click to enlarge).

And this is something I wanted so badly but 300 euros was price way too high for a souvenir :

Next morning we continue our journey more on north, on the shore of Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean! We were hoping to see herds of reindeers on the road but we saw occasionally few examples (and since I was up on the floor in the bus I mad horrible photos, however I’ll take some from my fellow travelers). Day was cloudy and rainy from time to time.

We reached Ocean in Grense Jakobselv, NATO’s eastern most mainland-based surveillance of Russia. It was very strange feeling. The ocean was dark-grey with big waves and only you can hear was wind and occasionally some sea bird. I was standing on the shore expecting to hear voice of Dejan Đurović (Serbian readers will understand). I couldn’t believe I was there. Of course I had to enter the ocean; in Serbian official name for Arctic Ocean is Northern Icy Ocean and he so justified its name. The feeling was as if some mad dog is biting my feet! And my dear friends made me to go back into the ocean because „photograph wasn’t good“. Of course they were good! *grrr*

Later we visited Kirkenes, the biggest town in the area also famous for King Crabs safari. Suddenly the day was sunny but the wind was so strong and it was quite cold. However children were playing on the main square were was some entertainment park; and almost everyone wearing short sleeves! I couldn’t believe! It was some festival, they were celebrating something (i wouldn’t be surprised if the occasion was first sunny day of the year!). Some folks have found whale meat but as usual I was sightseeing and wasn’t interested in sitting in restaurants (or in this case under a tent). They said it’s lovely but when I heard the price I couldn’t believe. I mean I knew Norway ios horribly expensive country but I never expect it’s expensive that much! I went in a hotel in toilet and there I saw postcards and thought to send few so I asked do they have stamps and how much it is. The answer was 5 euros! I had to ask twice and the guy said in perfectly normal voice the same thing: 5 euros. For bloody postcard!!! Should I mention I didn’t send anything from there.

One group find out lamb roast and wanted to taste part from the ribs but the butcher didn’t want to give them that part so one of them sweared in Serbian. Butcher who was grizzly-sized man with grizzly-like face and with knife huge enough to kill grizzly said in cracked voice „What did you say?“ (in perfect Serbian!). He couldn’t believe his ears and of course he gave them discount and free drink. I don’t remember his name but I know he’s Muslim refugee from Bosnia and he couldn’t answer the question how on earth he ended there.

How strange this is; in Bosnia he would see enemy in us but there on far European North he almost didn’t burst in tears. And yes in some distant land, in foreign culture you forget all animosities and longing for someone who can understand you, who knows how you feel when people around you don’t catch the point of your joke. After such things you really wonder why all those suffering? Why war when you’ll find yourself hugging in tears your „enemy“?

We left Kirkenes and Norway and slowly start our way back home. We slept in Kaamanen and next morning continued journey to Oulu in the Gulf of Bothnia. We didn’t have too much time to spend there so we just walked for an hour or so. Oulu is lovely town with beautiful open marked which was full of people since it was sunny day. On the open marked there are many red wooden houses (like in Porvoo). Apartments are fantastic. Every two buildings have their own parks (closed by the fence) in between of the buildings. And if the building are on the bank of the channel, channel has been used by residents of that buildings. I saw water scooter „parked“ in a front of the building. How odd is that?

After relaxing little bit in Oulu we started our journey to Russia and magic St Petersburg, but about that in part 3...

Imágenes: fotografía y cartelería realizada por CompasCREAtivo

Por fin comienza la Feria de Málaga 2008, en honor a la reconquista de los Reyes Católicos de nuestra ciudad (19-ago-1487). Málaga, que es cosmopolitan todo el año, lo será también en Feria y por supuesto habrá un hueco para la danza oriental. Os informo de las actuaciones que tengo contratadas:

- lunes 18, Asociación de Veteranos Legionarios, caseta nº 134

- jueves 21, Pastoral Amigos de Santa Cristina, caseta nº 6

- viernes 22, Peña El Bastón, caseta nº 93-94

- sábado 23, Asociación de Veteranos Legionarios

Los espectáculos serán en el Real de la Feria de Málaga a las 24.00 h. Haced click aquí para ver el plano de las casetas.

Estáis todos invitados. Disfrutad de una de las fiestas más populares de nuestro territorio y ¡¡que tengáis una Feliz Feria Malagueña Porrompompera!!

FOR CLASSIC AUCTIONS:

This is the only Arts & Crafts Mystery Auction on OLA:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=722176

A Wonderful 14K Yellow Gold Mother and Child Necklace at an incredible price:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=723240

A Beautiful Vintage Silverplated Coffee Pot:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=650226

An Amazing Vintage Rhinestone Necklace:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=723324

A Beautiful Pair of Vintage Rhinestone Fan Shaped Earrings:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=724094

A Wonderful Pair of Decorated Antique Tin Ceiling Tiles. A Must See!!!

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=auction:view_item&auction_id=723340

AWell, that took up a lot of space. Maybe I will wait on the Fixed Price Listings for a few days and then post some of them. But the above are some of the wonderful items I, and other sellers, have available at onlineauction.com. You really need to come on over and check us out!! Do not let lower prices scare you off!! This is all quality stuff, but since we don't pay listing or final value fees, we can afford to lower our prices for our customers.

<embed src="http://player.stickam.com/stickamPlayer/174675679-6069503" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="820" height="490" scale="noscale" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true"></embed>

I'M THE SANTA OF THE INTERNET. I WILL BEGIN LIVE VIDEO POD CAST SHOW 11.01.2008 USING STICKAM AS THE PLATFORM. I HAVE STICKAM ENBEDDED IN MY WEBSITE .

@http://www.santalivenow.com/

EMBEDDED IN MY SANTA SOCIAL NETWORK

and embedded in 16 other Ning networks.

@http://www.santalivenow.ning.com

embedded on Myspace and Facebook

IN GOOGLE SEARCH PUT IN 'santalivenow' it's the first 14,000 sites. I'm advertizing this from YOUTUBE to BREAKTV. LAST YEARS SHOW ARE CAN BE SEEN @http:www.therealsanta.blip.tv/ and can be downloaded on itunes.

About the show: I have a cast that lives with me in Santa's Village from around the world. We want to interact with the Child in all of us. I want to make the Internet a safe place for the Child in all of us. If the first time you experience the Internet is at 4 years old on your parents lap experiencing the spirit of giving with Santa for all the right reasons rather than @ 13 for all the wrong reasons our world is going to be a much safer place for many years to come.

-           ¿Y Perú qué? Con un mes y medio tendremos suficiente para conocer el país, ¿no?

Recuerdo que miraba el mapa y le preguntaba a Anna cosas de las que ya creía saber la respuesta. Es lo que suele suceder cuando uno habla sobre algo que no conoce personalmente, dice tonterías, la caga.

-          ¿Un mes y medio? Pufff, de sobra.

Perú fue una sorpresa, probablemente una de las mayores de los 8 años de Vuelta al Mundo. No sólo es un país enorme, también hay montones de cosas que hacer y conocer. Y vale la pena. Aquí van unos cuantos datos, sensaciones y precios.

Primero, Perú es el Egipto de Sudamérica. Sí, hay pirámides, pero no sólo eso, en Perú levantas una piedra y sale una momia. No exagero: Machu Picchu sólo es el sitio más conocido (y probablemente mejor conservado) de un territorio rico en antepasados ingeniosos que plasmaban su cultura en vasijas, amuletos, tejidos, armas, edificios, vestimentas y tumbas. Sí hubo Incas, pero también hubo Moches y Chimú. Y Chachapoyas y nascas, quichuas y muchas otras tribus que se convirtieron en civilizaciones dominantes en distintas épocas y regiones.

Segundo, Perú es uno de los países con mayor biodiversidad de América. Hay desiertos y selva, montañas de más de seis mil metros, glaciares y playas, manglares, bosques y altiplano. Tiene el lago Titicaca y la selva del Manu. En las montañas de Ancash nace el río Amazonas. En su costa chocan la corriente fría de Humboldt con la cálida que llega del Pacífico norte. El río Apurimac avanza por el cañón más profundo del mundo, de más de 3000 metros, y es base de uno de los raftings más arriesgados del planeta.

Tercero, nuestra experiencia con la gente fue impecable. Sí, nos cruzamos con algunos policías sospechosos y cuidamos siempre de cerrar bien la furgoneta con los candados de siempre. Pero no más que en otros lugares. Y poco a poco fuimos conociendo familias y personas que nos abrieron su corazón y su casa. Hubo de todo, desde policías que nos prestaron la ducha de la comisaría a gerentes de empresas que nos invitaron a un asado. Nativos de comunidades en la selva deseosos de contar sus leyendas a políticos de los gobiernos regionales abiertos a compartir un buen pisco. El de Perú, claro.

Cuarto, los precios. Por todo lo que ofrece, Perú no es un país caro. Puedes almorzar por menos de 1 dólar y encontrar una cama en un dormitorio por 4 dólares la noche, y quizás menos. El combustible es mas barato que en Chile, aunque más caro que Bolivia, Argentina y Ecuador. Las entradas a los museos y sitios arqueológicos oscilan habitualmente entre los 2 y 4 dólares (excepto Machu Picchu). En algunos museos privados la entrada cuesta 8 dólares. (Por supuesto, también puedes dormir por 500 dólares la noche y cenar por 100, depende donde quieras ir)

Quinto, el turismo alucinógeno. Para aquellos con ganas de experimentar cosas nuevas, es relativamente sencillo probar ayahuasca, san pedro y otros menjunjes tradicionales capaces de transportarte a otras galaxias. Sólo hay que tener cuidado en manos de quien te pones, algunos extranjeros se han subido a una nave espacial y, aunque físicamente están en la Tierra, su cabeza continúa flotando entre Marte y Júpiter.

Creíamos que nos quedaríamos un mes y medio en Perú. Al final fueron ocho meses. Y la experiencia fue inolvidable. Aquí tienen buena información por región.

Cusco: es la atracción número uno de Perú. La ciudad de Machu Picchu es un imán mundial, que provoca la edición de guías en casi todos los idiomas posibles. Y es cierto, vale la pena. De cualquier manera, en el departamento de Cusco hay cientos de sitios arqueológicos incaicos, y la visita a muchos de ellos puede reemplazar una visita a Machu Picchu. La lista de nuestros inevitables incluye Ollantaytambo, Pisaq, Saqsayhuaman, Tipon, Chincheros y, para aquellos con ganas de caminar, Choquequirao. Sólo la ciudad de Cusco y su vida nocturna ya valen el viaje. Con respecto al boleto turístico, creemos que no es indispensable. ¿El Inti Raymi? Sabemos que tiene un significado importante para muchos cusqueños, pero nos pareció que tenía demasiado cartón piedra, con lo que quedó en una gran obra de teatro con la ciudad como escenario. Me hubiera gustado ver la fiesta de Paucartambo.

Más historias en 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/20-a-machu-picchu-por-la-puerta-trasera/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/21-cusco/

Puno: sin duda hay que visitar el lago Titicaca y las islas flotantes de los Uros. El viaje en lancha cuesta unos 3 o 4 dólares. La gente es mucho más abierta y amistosa que sus propios hermanos que viven cruzando la frontera, en Bolivia.

Más historias en 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/17-en-las-islas-flotantes-de-los-uros-lago-titicaca/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/38-huyendo-de-la-policia/

Ica: sobrevolar las líneas de Nasca es casi obligatorio. Los mejores precios los encuentras directamente junto al aeropuerto, unos 40 dólares, en cada una de las empresas de sobrevuelo. Sin duda, hay que negociar. Allí cerca recomendamos visitar las tumbas de Chauchilla, impresionantes, y alguno de los canales de piedra hechos cientos de años atrás. La península de Paracas no está mal, aunque es más desierto y si tienes un vehículo propio encuentras lo mismo fuera del parque, y gratis. Sí recomendamos el viaje a las Islas Ballestas, desde el pueblo de Paracas, que cuesta unos diez o doce dólares por persona. ¿El oasis de Huacachina? Sí, por qué no. Y si tienes ganas de probar nuevos sabores, en Chincha hay un sitio donde cocinan gato a la olla.

Más historias: 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/terremoto-en-peru-2-meses-despues/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/43-terremoto-en-peru-10-meses-despues/

3- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/11/09/30-volando-sobre-las-lineas-de-nasca/

Tacna: el Humedal de Ite es un sitio perfecto para acampar si viajas con vehículo propio. Las arenas verde fluorescentes producto de los vertidos de una compañía minera son bastante curiosas. Y tóxicas.

Moquegua: cómete un cuy chactado, y recuerda que el cuy es un animal doméstico en Estados Unidos… Es como comerte al periquito, o mejor, al hamster.

Más historias: 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/13-por-el-mal-camino/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/15-por-el-mal-camino-fantasmas/

3- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/16-por-el-mal-camino-3-ratones-en-la-furgoneta/

Arequipa: también llegamos decididos a quedarnos dos días y fue una semana. La ciudad es muy, muy bonita, antigua y rodeada de montañas. Vale la pena visitar a Juanita, una momia descubierta en los glaciares cercanos y llegarse hasta el cañón del Colca, de unos 3000 metros de profundidad, donde los cóndores pasan volando junto a tu cabeza. El convento de Santa Catalina debe ser interesante, todo depende la cantidad de sitios religiosos que hayas visto en tu vida. Busca donde queda la catarata Corontorio y haz el trekking. Es corto y no te va a desilusionar.

Más historias en: http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/41-bailes-tradicionales-del-peru/

Madre de Dios: hicimos un inolvidable viaje en balsa por el Alto Madre de Dios entre rápidos y palizadas. Y recomendamos fervientemente viajar con libertad y tiempo por sus ríos, esperando las barcas colectivas que llevan de comunidad en comunidad, donde puedes dormir en cabañas básicas y tu dinero va a parar directamente a las poblaciones originales. No es indispensable pasar por agencias de viaje y la gente es hermosamente amable. Si tienes dinero, por supuesto, vete al Manu. Si no tienes dinero, vete a Shintuya y habla con los locales que llevan el proyecto de Wanamei. La diferencia entre las orillas del Alto Madre de Dios no es tan grande.

Más historias en 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/32-historias-de-la-selva/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/22-viaje-en-balsa-por-el-rio-alto-madre-de-dios-1-historia-del-titanic/

3- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/23-viaje-en-balsa-por-el-rio-alto-madre-de-dios-2-el-equipo/

4- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/24-viaje-en-balsa-por-el-rio-alto-madre-de-dios-3-la-partida/

5- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/25-viaje-en-balsa-por-el-rio-alto-madre-de-dios-4-ay-encallando/

6- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/10/01/26-viaje-en-balsa-por-el-rio-madre-de-dios-el-final/

Lima: es la capital. Si tu viaje comienza allí te recomendamos visitar el Museo de la Nación para comprender la enorme cantidad de culturas y sitios arqueológicos de Perú. No es el Museo de El Cairo, pero se acerca. También vale la pena el Museo del Banco Central, que es gratuito. Y el Parque de la Muralla. Y el desconocido Parque de las Aguas, con más de diez fuentes dignas de una petropotencia árabe. En el camino hacia Ancash está Caral, con muchas pirámides de unos cinco mil años de antigüedad. Anna no quedó impresionada. Yo sí. Hay un circuito de unos doce días en la cordillera Huayhuash, cerca del límite con el departamento de Ancash, de donde mucha gente vuelve alucinada. No es parque nacional pero la gente del lugar se ha organizado y cobra aproximadamente unos cinco dólares por día y por persona por pasar por su territorio. Y no te escapas.

Ancash: las montañas del Parque Nacional del Huascarán son la meca de los montañistas que visitan Perú. Desde Huaraz se puede acceder a un gran número de áreas de trekking entre montañas vertiginosas de más de seis mil metros de altura. La entrada diaria al parque cuesta casi dos dólares, el pase mensual, algo más de veinte dólares. Si puedes, vale la pena visitar el Cañón del Pato y cruzar por el Paso Olímpico hacia el pueblito de Chacas. No visitamos Tambo Machay, pero parece que vale la pena.

Más historias: 1- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/31-por-la-ruta-de-las-mil-curvas/

2- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/34-buscando-problemas/

3- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/36-%c2%a1gringo/

4- http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/42-es-preferible-reir-que-llorar-%c2%a1gracias-peret/

La Libertad: todo el mundo habla de los Incas, pero nosotros quedamos más impresionados por la cultura Moche. Recomendamos visitar la Huaca de la Luna cerca de Trujillo. Y ya que estás por allí, también Chan Chan, de cultura Chimú. Ya fuera de la ciudad, la Huaca del Brujo es un extra aislado que no está mal. Ah, vete a la playa de Huanchaco a ver los caballitos de totora con los que la gente sale a pescar. Si viajas en bicicleta, Lucho te hará un lugarcito en su casa para que descanses unas noches en Trujillo.

Más historias: http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/35-policias-y-ladrones/

Lambayeque: el Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipán es imperdible. Es un chute de cultura Mochica impresionante. Si pasas por allí y no entras es algo imperdonable. Sin duda es uno de los mejores museos que he visto en mi vida. Lo hallado en las tumbas de Sipán es comparable a lo encontrado en la tumba de Tutankhamon. Oro, plata, vestimentas, corazas, amuletos, cangrejos de oro con cabezas humanas, pecheras de pequeñas cuentas, armas, tumbas reconstruidas, antigüedades decomisadas a huaqueros (profanadores de tumbas). Hay de todo. Es la vida en otro mundo. Y la exhibición, de las mejores que puedas encontrar en Sudamérica. Sólo por eso vale la pena detenerse en Lambayeque.

Cajamarca: la ciudad es muy bonita, aunque el camino para llegar a ella sea muy malo. Sorprende más la estancia donde llaman a las vacas por su nombre (y responden), que las Ventanillas de Otuzco. El cuarto del rescate que Atahualpa, el último inca, llenó de oro para comprar su vida a los conquistadores españoles es eso, un cuarto inca con mucho más significado simbólico que arqueológico.

Tumbes: Máncora es un mito. Una de las pocas playas de Perú donde puedes bañarte sin congelarte. Ideal para surfistas. Estuvimos dos veces: la primera, espectacular en noviembre, temporada baja. La segunda, horrible en marzo bajo una estampida de cascarudos voladores que llovían como una invasión bíblica sobre la comida, sobre la cabeza y dentro de las habitaciones. Por las mañanas la gente los barría de la acera con una escoba. Eran muchos, en verdad.

Ver http://viajeros4x4x4.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/39-carteles-de-peru/

Amazonas: fue la última sorpresa que nos guardó Perú. Una región ansiosa por compartir sus sitios con los curiosos de todo el mundo. Hace pocos años alguien dijo ‘esa catarata es muy alta’. Y resultó que Gocta, que siempre estuvo allí, era la tercera caída de agua más alta del mundo. Y Kuelap, una ciudad fortificada en la cima de una montaña. Y Karajía, sarcófagos de adobe cubiertos por una máscara en la pared de un risco. Y Revash, más tumbas dentro de pequeñas casas en la pared de otro acantilado. Y la gente, que casi nunca deja de sonreír, pase lo que pase.

Después de ocho meses aún hubo departamentos que no pudimos visitar: Loreto, San Martín, Pasco, Ayacucho, Junín, Huánuco, Ucayali, Apurimac, Huancavelica…

Prometemos volver a Perú, sin duda, cuando terminemos con la Vuelta al Mundo.

Este texto está basado en nuestras experiencias. Los sitios nombrados son sólo algunos de los que puedes visitar en cada uno de los departamentos. Hay muchos, muchísimos más. Y siempre hay un lugar para las sorpresas.

The design team is staging a new tree just about each day now, and I can no longer resist the desire to try to include a picture of a full tree.  Please look closely at this and try to make it out as best you can, because it is adorable.  Gorgeous, natural woodland theme, and I was caught this morning by a very serious-looking polar bear made of wood and carrying a wooden trout.  He is tucked in behind some chesnuts, copper leaves, and a star-shaped tree toper made of willow branches stuffed with nuts and seed pods.  He's about halfway down, just left of center, below a tree stump.  Yes, they even put a tree stump in the tree, just above the fence rail.  Yes, a fence rail, down which are tumbling a series of "Santa Gnomes".

The tree is loaded with ornaments made of natural materials, including owls, pheasants, snowmen, bears, and more.  There are also gleaming blown glass ornaments, resin characters, and all sorts of adornments - it takes more than a bit of exploration to absorb all the elements they have tucked into this tree.  While I was attempting to photograph the tree, I talked with a guest who said she thought it should be staged for display in her governor's mansion!  Are you listening, Gov. Joe Manchin III, D, West Virginia?  We'll be happy to send this along to your estate.  Even your constituent's husband, a non-decorative-fussy kind of guy, would love this tree, says our guest.

Here are a few close-ups:

Now you begin to perceive the depths of my frustration with photography and the challenge of doing verbal justice to the visual feasts throughout the store!  It is decided.  You will have to come in person to experience the wonder of each tree.  I haven't even talked about the nativity tree yet, or the snowman tree, or the musical tree or the....anticipation!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080812/ap_en_mu/people_beatles_contract

C'mon Santa, Hook a sister up.

Depois de tantos dias sem atualizações, obviamente, o blog teve uma pequena decaída. Não estou falando da qualidade, pois (espero eu, que) as matérias continuam agradando a todos (ou, pelo menos, a maioria). A decaída, a qual eu me referi, é no número de acessos. Lembra daquele velho papinho sobre Page Views e Page Rank? É neste ponto que o blog decaiu. Por quê que isso aconteceu? Em primeiro lugar, podemos citar a ausência de novas matérias (posts). E, em segundo, foi a baixa divulgação (obviamente).

Bom, mas como diz aquele velho ditado: "Não adianta chorar em cima do leite derramado!". As férias foram forçadas, mas extremamente necessárias. Então, o jeito agora é correr atrás do prejuízo (rs).

Como terça-feira é dia de Top 5 e estamos atrás de Page Views, decidi listar As Blogueiras Mais Bonitas da blogosfera brasileira:

1. Blogueira: Mirian Bottan
   Blog: Substantivolátil
   Opinião(ões): Confesso que sempre fui apaixonado pela Mel Lisboa. Sejam siceros: "Quem não foi?"; quem não tem saudades da Anita (rs)? Tudo bem, esta não é a melhor maneira de dizer: "Você é muito bonita!"; mas o que que eu posso fazer? Se a Mirian é a cara da Mel.
2. Blogueira: Dani Koetz
   Blog: Ah!Tri Né!
   Opinião(ões): Não podia faltar esta mineirucha na lista, né? Além do mais, foi graças a ela (e ao Ivo Neuman, do Treta) que três blogueiras (brasileiras) foram fotografadas pela Playboy.
3. Blogueira: Marina Santa Helena
   Blog: Chiqueiro Chique
   Opinião(ões): Não sei por quê, mas ela me faz lembrar da Cleo Pires! Que, diga-se de passagem, sempre achei muito bonita.
4. Blogueira: Luiza Gomes
   Blog: Eu Capricho
   Opinião(ões): Vou ser sincero (rs)! O blog dela não é de chamar atenção (*), mas ela...
5. Blogueira: Bia Kunze
   Blog: Garota Sem Fio
   Opinião(ões): Sei que alguns vão dizer: "Tem foto que ela tá bonita e tem foto que não.". Mas gosto é uma merda, né (rs)? Eu acho ela bonita e pronto.

Para finalizar, segue um vídeo promocional do calendário (de 2008) da Axe (em conjunto com a Playboy), com três das nossas Top 5:

Nota (*):

1. Antes que me crucifiquem: "Não é que o blog dela não têm importância (na blogosfera), ele apenas não chama a atenção do público masculino (ou, pelo menos, não deveria - rs).".

Kid: “Is there a dissolvable, time-release knowledge brain chip? “

“Why this question?"

Kid: “If there is, would you please pay to implant it into my brain? You know, this way I can learn effortlessly while I am sleeping, eating and watching TV. And homework will just be a piece of cake. ”