Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.




"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.




see copy of original article http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

Rainforests - West Coast?

If I'm not mistaken, haven't umbrella, like in "its raining and I need my unbrella", sales fallen sharply in recent years on the west coast of U.S.? (Ironically, the sales of umbrellas, like in "the sun is too hot on my head and I need a umbrella to make some shade, has increased in direct correlation.)

Perhaps its another in a growing number of signs of "global warming" ! Does this mean loss of rain forest? Or just less rain? Or can we continue to claim West Coast as rain forest if umbrella sales continue a downward spiral?

And does the snow in Western Canada dilute the concept of "rain" forest? Honestly, how often do you see squirrel monkeys, macaws, and pythons in British Columbia?

Just asking.

Facts about Rainforests

1. Covering less than 2 percent of the Earth's total surface area, the world's rainforests are home to 50 percent of the Earth's plants and animals.
2. Rainforests are found on every continent across the Earth, except Antarctica.
3. The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada.
4. A typical four square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.

Writing

Word added,
Word removed,
Words condensed,
Words new chose,
Words rearranged,
Words replaced.

Not first writing forms the finished work.
-- jpR

Whisky

Whisky makes pesky,
Liquor makes slicker,
Wine makes fine,
Scotch makes posh,
Rye makes sigh,
Vodka makes polka,
Bourbon makes stubborn,
Beer makes cheer,
Saki makes cocky,
Malt makes no halt,
Ale makes some tale,
Sherry makes purry,
Port makes court,
Sour mash makes hash,
Moonshine makes opine,
Stout makes pout,
Wives make temperate!
--jpR

Turkey’s reign

Turkey bake,
Turkey loaf,
Turkey pie,
Turkey gravy,
Turkey stew,
Turkey casserole,
Turkey toast,
Turkey surprise,
Turkey sandwich,
Turkey neck,
Turkey cards,
Turkey pattern,
Turkey lights,
Turkey parade,
Turkey Day!
-- jpR

One Wish

If one wish were free to last and stay,
If one vow never ruined it must be,
If one promise could entirely become made,
If one prayer to heaven only reached,
If one oath placed did soundly set,
If one plea could justly granted be,
If one entreaty should by all be heard,
It would be the same from each at the last,
Let the innocence of birth persist till life’s ending pass.
-- jpR