Leaderboard

Listen to the January edition of The ClausNet Podcast! Click the link on the main page or the side link...or below to give a listen. There is an extra special surprise just for you! Thanks to everyone for all your input. It makes for a great show.

follow up to the little boy!! The REAL Santa comes through...

I love the hypocrisy: respect all people but not the homeowner. Classic hatred being spewed by someone who can do nothing but see bad in everything and seeks to destroy anything or anyone they do not like. If I received this letter I would put up more lights. If this was my neighbor who got the letter I would put up more lights. Meanwhile I would now blast Xmas music in the neighborhood. Chastise me for celebrating Christmas? Kiss my mistletoe!

BBC News. 12-11-2020 A community has rallied together to honour a man who has raised thousands for charity with Christmas light displays ahead of what is expected to be his final festive period. Dave Edwards is known as Mr Christmas for his extravagant displays at his home in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, over the past 42 years. His family said due to ill health, this year's event would likely be the last. In response, residents have erected a banner to thank the 86-year-old. Locals have also been putting up their own festive displays in honour of the fundraiser. Mr Edwards started his light display as a competition with a house across the street, his daughter Sharon Markham said. Over the years, the display grew in size and in recent years has seen celebrities attend to switch on the lights in front of thousands of spectators. He was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace for his fundraising efforts but the event did not go ahead due to coronavirus restrictions. Read full story here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-54891983

Creator of “Kneeling Santa” was Lifelong Catholic and Activist The Kneeling Santa idea came to Ray Gauer while he was on retreat at a Trappist Monastery in Kentucky in the 1940s. National Catholic Register August 4, 2020 Jim Graves EXCERPT: With the coming of the internet, pornography has saturated society and become a challenging addiction for many to overcome. A few generations ago some saw the harm porn would unleash, and joined early efforts to have local and state governments enforce anti-obscenity laws. Among those was lifelong Catholic Ray Gauer (1921-1997), who is perhaps better known for his creation of the “kneeling Santa.” Gauer was born in Chicago, where he attended both Catholic and public schools. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy, but contracted tuberculosis and was discharged in 1947. He recovered, married wife Ella and became the father of seven children. He studied accounting at DePaul University and moved to Hollywood, California, in 1954. ... Perhaps Gauer will be especially remembered for the Kneeling Santa, an idea which came to him on retreat at a Trappist Monastery in Kentucky in the late 1940s. His plan was to depict Santa Claus kneeling before the Infant Christ, because, as he explained, “Santa Claus is really St. Nicholas and would be the last person to detract from the real reason for the season — the birth of Christ.” Gauer tried for years to interest others in his idea — including Walt Disney — but it wasn’t until 1976 that Gauer brought his Santa vision to reality, the same year he got his law degree. A chance meeting with the religious woodcarving artist Rudolph Vargas led to a hand-carved prototype that made the kneeling Santa an international symbol of Christmas. It is made and marketed by Roman, Inc. in Chicago, a major distributor of religious articles. Gauer was a daily communicant at St. Simon and Jude Parish in Huntington Beach in the Diocese of Orange, California. He died of a heart attack in 1997. His first wife Ella had died of leukemia in 1982; he married his second wife, Betty, in 1996. At the time of his death he had seven children and 13 grandchildren. SOURCE: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimgraves/creator-of-kneeling-santa-was-lifelong-catholic-and-early-anti-porn-crusade

A dive into the surprising history of the Christmas carol Classic FM December 3, 2020 By Rosie Pentreath EXCERPT In 1928, the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge’s Christmas Eve carol service was broadcast over the public airwaves for the very first time. The same year saw The Oxford Book of Carols – edited by Percy Dearmer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Martin Shaw –published, aiding the wide enjoyment of festive hymns throughout the population. But what are the origins of the Christmas carol? What actually is it to “sound Christmassy”? And why don’t we just sing Christmas carols all year round? It’s not as obvious as you might think, so do indulge our festive feelings, and join us on a journey through the history of the Christmas carol. What was the first Christmas carol? It’s generally accepted that one of the first Christmas carols ever to be recorded was the 129 AD ‘Angels Hymn’, according to The New Daily. Around this time, Christianity-themed hymns started taking over the previous pagan songs celebrating Winter Solstice. More and more slow, solemn hymns started to emerge in the fourth century, and by the 12th, songs referring to Nativity themes and creatures had emerged. According to Oxford Dictionaries, one of the oldest printed carols is the ‘Boar’s Head Carol’, which dates from 1521. Apparently, it was traditionally heard annually at Queen’s College, Oxford as Christmas lunch was carried in. ... What makes Christmas music so Christmassy? There are several elements that go into something seeming to sound unquestionably Christmassy. Stirring melodies are usually sprinkled with minor and diminished chords – think of the mix of major and minor melody lines in ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ – in popular Christmas carols and songs. This all underpins lyrics that are nostalgic, and often as sombre as they are uplifting and inspiring. Centred around the miraculous story of Jesus’s birth, of course, the overall message of the Christmas carl is one of awe, humility, hope and abundant joy. In more modern Christmas music, you can rely on a stick of ‘sleigh bells’ or similar to guarantee a Christmas auditory association. ... Today, lots of new choral Christmas music is often commissioned by leading choirs like The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and lots of leading living composers, including Arvo Pärt, Eric Whitacre and Bob Chilcott, have written beautiful contemporary carols. Full Article: https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/carol-history-origins/

Planets Will Align Causing Rare 'Christmas Star' to Appear in the Sky This December John Paluska | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Tuesday, December 1, 2020 On December 21, Saturn and Jupiter will align into a beautiful bright star. This will be the first time they align like this since the Middle Ages. According to Forbes, the two planets will look like a "double planet" and provide an extraordinary amount of light. The last time these two planets aligned like this was on March 4, 1226, according to astronomer Patrick Hartigan at Rice University. "Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another. You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky," Hartigan said in a statement. The spectacular sighting will be viewable from anywhere on earth. “The planets will appear low in the western sky for about an hour after sunset as viewed from the northern hemisphere, and though they’ll be closest on December 21, you can look each evening that week. Although the sight will be sinking towards the horizon, it will be bright enough to be viewed in at twilight. All you need is an unobstructed view to the southwest, and to look to the southwest from about 45 minutes after sunset where you are," Forbes states. To catch it in the night sky, you'll need a regular telescope at a minimum. But for a brighter view, an astronomer's telescope or a university telescope feed would work better. Alignments like these, called "conjunctions" are not necessarily rare, but some of them are impossibly rare or only come around once in hundreds of years. Astronomers speculate that the Star of David written of in Matthew was an exceptionally rare triple conjunction between Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus. One such astronomer was Johannes Kepler, one of the greatest astronomers of all time. Source: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/john-paluska/planets-will-align-causing-rare-christmas-star-to-appear-in-the-sky-this-december.html

The point is, no one, including the government can keep you 100% safe, let alone safe from an airborne virus. This WHOLE thing is about gov't control, and people giving up up their freedoms, for a false belief in safety. We are allowing the government to strip away our rights, try to monitor our every move, and allowing the media to control our fears and emotions. This isn't about them caring for us, this is about them abusing the Constitution. And we are seeing how many sheep there are.

Psychologists Confirm People Who Decorate For Christmas Early Are Happier Yahoo.com Murphy Moroney August 4, 2020 EXCERPT: If you were one of those families who had their tree decorated and the Christmas village out and in full swing by Nov. 1, you might be in luck. According to experts, decorating for Christmas early may make you happier, so you might want to consider pulling your garlands and gigantic Santa statues down from the attic a bit sooner. "In a world full of stress and anxiety, people like to associate to things that make them happy, and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood," psychoanalyst Steve McKeown told Unilad. "Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extends the excitement!" That seems logical enough. SOURCE: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/psychologists-confirm-people-decorate-christmas-150611213.html

The Christmas Chronicles 3 Reportedly In Development At Netflix Scott Campbell WeGotThisCovered.com December 2020 This week, Netflix confirmed the long-held fan theory that there’s in fact a Christmas Cinematic Universe exclusively on the streaming service, connecting A Christmas Prince, The Princess Switch, The Holiday Calendar, The Knight Before Christmas, Christmas Inheritance and Holiday in the Wild. No offense to any of the cast and crew members who no doubt worked very hard on all of those respective titles, but for the most part, they’re absolute garbage. Instead, the brightest jewel in Netflix’s festive crown is without a doubt The Christmas Chronicles, starring Kurt Russell as possibly the most twinkly-eyed Santa Claus that’s ever been seen in live-action. The first movie was viewed over 20 million times in a week when it arrived two years ago, and the recently released sequel is poised to do even better and play like gangbusters over the holiday season. Co-writer and director Chris Columbus recently revealed that Russell wants Santa to be the last role he ever portrays, which is why it’s good news that we’ve heard from our sources today – the same ones who told us Netflix were developing a prequel to The Witcher long before Blood Origin was officially announced, and that an Extraction sequel is happening – that The Christmas Chronicles 3 is reportedly already in active development. Of course, there’s always the chance that Russell may have been kidding when he told Columbus that he was planning to ride off into the sunset after playing Santa for the last time, but then again, the 69 year-old actor has been working pretty much solidly ever since he made his screen debut all the way back in 1962, so he’s more than earned a break. That being said, The Christmas Chronicles series has proved massively popular so far, and there could be at least a couple more stories left to tell before the legend calls it quits. Source: https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/christmas-chronicles-3-reportedly-development-netflix/?fbclid=IwAR0XRQPuxr2t5n1IzTsQX8pM7XhKcTTI1ZSFcoP7D4n87ZB-jqNw4W07bts

He said it a tad more tactful than I stated...but the point was no way that fragrant package was coming near him! Which also goes to show what some parents think is ok to hand off to Santa. On the day we did the interview, my allergies were off the chart...Dec thru Jan we have cedar pollen that pretty much drives the whole area to the breaking point. I felt like I had pillows stuffed in my head. So sorry that I sounded so stuffed up. 🤧 ...never had any real allergies til we moved here and now I semi live with Kleenex boxes literally everywhere I turn, but Dec and Jan they are attached to my hand! At least I managed to not have a sneezing fit during it! One thing I did forget to mention tho when hanging your coat when in use and storing it during the long off season is to make sure that not only is the hanger strong enough to support your coat, but that the ends of it are curved and don't poke out/deform the tops of your sleeves...not a good look and bad for the fabric.

When similar situations arise whether guns, pet tigers etc, I will generally tell the child, that I cant promise to bring everything they wish for, but I promise they will be happy with the gifts they do receive. In essence, as you say, leave the option where it should be, with the parents.

As reported by the Telegraph 22-1-2020 'Santa is a key worker': Nicola Sturgeon forced to make bizarre TV address to Scottish children after her top medical advisor says it will be a 'digital' Christmas and hopes of family gatherings are 'fiction' I think this is wonderful. Having received a number of letters etc from children in Scotland anxious that Santa Claus may not be allowed to visit, Nicola delivered this message, fantastic piece of work well done!

Because it is their choice as an entertainment business. A choice as to whom they entertain. And, as we know, choices have consequences. Now, what those consequences are...that is up to their viewing audience and supporters. Lets not shame THEM, either, for their choices.

Hallmark needs to remain true to their main audience, I really feel that those who follow an alternate life stile need to respect those who chose not to partake of that life style. Christmas is not about who you live with but how you act as a person.

Hope everyone's 4th went well and you are all staying cool. I'm in the pre-pre prep mode for the podcast and if you listened to the end of the July podcast you heard me mention the topic for August was about Santa's that bring something else to the table...like singing, balloons, magic, etc. I'd love to hear from you so we can discuss this on the podcast. (I promise it won't hurt...much!) SO PLEASE!!! Reach out. podcast@clausnet.com If you know of someone that fits this...call them...tell them to reach out. Or better yet...email me and I'LL call them!!

Yes, please. Do call in and give your input on any number of issues for the ClausNet Podcast! Heck...just leave a general greeting to be played on the Podcast, like, "Ho, Ho, Hello! This is Felix Estridge all the way from Wide Awake Wylie, TX! And you are listening to the ClausNet Podcast!"

June 4 (sorry - a couple days late) Jun 4: The American Christmas comedy-drama film "Miracle on 34th Street" premiered in NYC on this day in 1947. It was written and directed by George Seaton based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. The story takes place between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in New York City and focuses on the effect of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa. The film has become a perennial Christmas favorite. It won three Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (Gwen), Best Writing-Original Story (Davies), Best Writing-Screenplay (Seaton). It was nominated for Best Picture, losing to "Gentleman's Agreement". [source: Wikipedia]

Louisiana man fulfills Kansas twins' Christmas list after finding balloon message KMBC.com April 20, 2021 EXCERPT: Most of the time when someone sends a message in a bottle or a letter to Santa, they're not really expecting the universe to reply. This is a story about a set of twins from a small town in Kansas who not only got an answer returned, but made a new friend for life -- a wonderful stranger who found a letter to Santa Claus from two little girls living two states away. It all began with a moment just before Christmas in the town of Liberal, Kansas, when 4-year-old twin sisters wrote letters to Santa, tied them to red balloons, and released them from their home. Their mother knew better. It was like a message in a bottle. But, Luna and Gianella Gonzalez were truly hoping it might make it to Santa's workshop at the North Pole. "It was a windy day," said mom Leticia Gonzalez. "I just thought it was going to get lost, get caught up in the tree." But the message didn't get lost. One of those balloons traveled more than 600 miles in the wrong direction and into the hands of Alvin Bamburg near Shreveport, Louisiana, who decided he's going to be Santa's helper. "I opened it and it was a Christmas list," he said. "I just had to do something for them." Bamburg said the note melted his heart, so he and his wife posted it to Facebook, where the internet helped them find the mother of the twins. And, with donations from family and friends, he shipped the girls almost every present on their list. "We did not expect it," Leticia Gonzalez said. "It was a big surprise to us." But there's one present the girls really, really wanted. And Bamburg just couldn't ship it in the mail -- a new puppy. Bamburg and his wife drove with a new furry friend, Max, for several hours to meet the twins in person for the first time, and with the biggest surprise yet. A new puppy of their very own. "We are very blessed," Leticia Gonzalez said. She told Bamburg, "Thank you. Thank you for making my girls so happy. You will forever be part of our family."

I hear that Brother !!! I play Christmas music in the background all year long - drives my wife nuts. But I too am a junkie - there is too much good stuff to cram into one short month - especially when I end up on the road so much in December. Gotta take the time to savor all the nuances of Christmas to get hyped for the big day!!! BUT - since our home party was cancelled this year she is already on board to go nuts next year - so we hope to start decorating in September !!! (I call that a win ! )

Shopping centre staff fail to spot massive mistake in their Christmas display Staff at a shopping centre decked the halls for the festive season, but when putting up their Christmas display it seems they made a rather awkward blunder Source: The Mirror. By Courtney Pochin Audience Writer 10 DEC 2020 When it comes to Christmas decorations, shopping malls and department stores usually go all out, putting up epic displays and over the top trees. One shopping centre in the US has put up their magical display, complete with trees and cute animals playing musical instruments. The animals are each stood on colourful blocks, the kind children might play with, that have letters on each side. It seems the letters were meant to spell out the word Santa, but staff who put the decorations up have made a rather unfortunate mistake. Instead of saying Santa, the festive message actually reads Satan. Awkward! Full storey: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/shopping-centre-staff-fail-spot-23145203 What a terrible error!

If the first thing you need to do is learn to spell CLAUS, then I guess the second thing you need to learn to do is spell SANTA!

It is not Santa's place to be pro or con guns. It is his job to listen to the child, communicate with the child, and to allow the parents to dictate whether firearms of any sort are proper for the child. It's that easy. This Santa became an advocate and violated a behavior code. I am just mad about this. This behavior makes us all look bad.

Santa first in line for new Covid vaccine Source; National News.com 03 Nov. 2020 England’s deputy medical chief Jonathan Van-Tam has promised children that Father Christmas will be first in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Mr Van-Tam made the remarks on BBC Radio 5Live where he sought to allay fears about the upcoming Pfizer/BioNtech shot which will be rolled out across the country in the coming weeks. Government guidance states that NHS workers and the most vulnerable groups, including the over-80s, will be first to be inoculated against the virus. However, Mr Van Tam has pledged Santa Clause will jump to the front of the queue for the vaccine, further cementing his cult status amongst the British public. Jennifer in St Albans: "I’ve got three children and they were asking about Father Christmas and wanting to know whether he will be front of the queue to get the vaccine." JVT: “Absolutely, the JVCI made a special case for Father Christmas, and he is going to be top of our list.” Full story: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/santa-first-in-line-for-new-covid-vaccine-says-jonathan-van-tam-1.1122521

Deck the Halls With Dolly Parton's First Holiday Album in 30 Years, 'A Holly Dolly Christmas' Billboard 8/12/2020 by Melinda Newman Christmas will come early for Dolly Parton fans with the Oct. 2 arrival of A Holly Dolly Christmas, the icon’s first holiday album in 30 years. Out on Parton’s own Butterfly Records in partnership with 12Tone Music Group, the collection includes a mix of originals and holiday standards and features Parton duetting with such famous friends as Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, goddaughter Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson, as well as with her brother Randy Parton. The first single from the Kent Wells-produced album will be “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas” with Bublé. Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/9432735/a-holly-dolly-christmas-announcement?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR26dk4Kevf4-LRp5Yem4n9g55fW6gR2x7APW3UzoHpieqKBrK_EGIt8wYQ

It is the same situation when parents bring their child to Santa and ask Santa to admonish them for their bad behavior. Santa is NOT their disciplinarian. The parents are. Just because they have failed to reign in their behavior and be stern with their child doesn't mean that Santa should be.

On this day ten years ago (11/6/2010), I had the privilege of gathering with many distinguished Santa Claus portrayers in Santa Claus, IN for the Final Santa Claus Oath Ceremony. The Santa Claus Oath is a set of principles that promote brotherhood and the highest ideals for portraying Santa Claus. The oath is the brainchild of Santa portrayer and Christmas archivist, Phillip L. Wenz. During its signatory period, the oath garnered over 2,500 original signers from around the world. The final oath ceremony marked the end of the signatory period, and the book of signatures was placed in a plastic time capsule. The capsule is on display at Santa's Candy Castle (Santa Claus, IN) where it can be viewed by the public. The oath itself is viewable online at santaclausoath.webs.com. The Santa Claus Oath is held in high esteem by Santa groups everywhere.

Not cancelling anything here. According to the CDC's own Data, TOTAL Deaths in the US (all causes): 2017: 2,813,503 (234,000/Mo) 2018: 2,839,206 (237,000/Mo) 2019: 2,855,000 (238,000/Mo) 2020: 2,130,000 (Jan - Sept) (236,000/Mo) So if you take the 2020 monthly average (236,000) and multiply by 3 for the remainder of the year, and add that into the year's total so far you get a projected: 2,130,000 + 708,000 = 2,838,000 Or in other words, less total deaths than 2019! Some other stats, again provided by the CDC... Annual deaths in the US due directly to cigarette smoking: 480,000, with 41,000 of those being second hand smoke related. So about 1,300 deaths daily. (Mar 23, 2020 data) Deaths in the US blamed on Covid-19 for 2020*: 242,861 So almost 2x's as many people will die in 2020 due to smoking than Covid. Average #'s of some other deaths in the US: 95,000 deaths due to excessive alcohol use 48,344 (2018 data) suicides 606,520 from all cancers * this # is more than likely inflated as it counts covid deaths in people that had other heath related issues such as diabetes, congestive heart problems and other life threatening health issues

A channel dedicated to Christmas movies is about to launch by ABIGAIL MALBON SEP 12, 2020 Cosmopolitan online If you're not quite over summer yet, you might want to look away, as a 24/7 Christmas movie channel is about to launch in the UK. Yep, with a whole 104 days to go until Christmas Day, it seems some people are already starting to get into the festive spirit. Or, at least, the TV advertising bosses are banking on it. And whether you like it or not, Christmas is coming. Fancy advent calendars are beginning to be released, Netflix has released its list of 2020 Christmas specials, and the dark nights are drawing in. Which I guess means it might be time to snuggle up in front of Sony Movies Christmas? Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a33999181/sony-movies-christmas-launch-date-uk/?fbclid=IwAR3lsx9Ru8pUetnY2gryXpRh5d8v2pd4TxVEhs_JK4jMk97EBKfm0WZ4Tz8

USPS announces 2020 holiday stamps PostalNews.com July 29, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC — The 2020 holiday season will be here before you know it. In that spirit, the U.S. Postal Service today revealed five new Forever holiday stamps. Details about the issue dates will be announced later. All images are preliminary and are subject to change prior to printing. USPS is also announcing holiday favorites from years past that will continue to be available. Source: http://postalnews.com/blog/2020/07/29/usps-announces-2020-holiday-stamps/

The Church where I was blessed enough to do this twice, ..... many years ago. They were getting rid of the 9" display. So I was able to recover it and save it! I am still trying to make one for our Outdoor display, life size paper mache, making it water proof is the challenge.