On the Prowl

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Senator Don Perata----dumb, dumb, dumb

Don Perata---well stupid is as stupid does.

Our California Senator Don Perata got carjacked. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer fool.

First off I want to ask, why did his government issued car have custom rims??? Aren’t government issued cars suppose to be standardized?

That was temptation.

And he wants to ban guns??? Excuse me Mr. stupid Senator but the only people you will be penalizing is the responsible legal gun owner. No criminal will respect a law that they will over look; they will get their guns from illegal sources and to hell with the laws to ban guns.

But if you had your permit to carry a concealed weapon you would not have been carjacked.

There have been many studies out that show that in countries and states that have the right to carry permit, criminal activity is down most significantly, because criminals have no idea which person is carrying a gun---they don’t want to get killed either.

But in countries where guns are banned criminal activity increased by 100 to 200 percent. And these studies totally refute what proponents of gun ban laws claim. So much for gun ban laws.

Your ideas Mr. Perata are stupid, you are still pissed off because you could not qualify for a concealed weapons permit maybe because you felt that you were too entitled and didn’t want to take the tests or you failed the tests so you flip over and go the other way (If I can’t have it no one can) how childish, everything worthwhile must be earned and you didn’t want to earn it---the NRA even agrees that people must be trained, pass tests and psychology exams they have no problem with the 10 day or 30 day wait period, because it’s only reasonable----I’m for the NRA, and I’ll carry my gun---the only way you are getting it is from my cold dead hand!!!

This is another reason why I’m going to vote Republican.

Mean Kitty signing off sneering at idiot Senators.

GROWL!!! ROAR!!! HOLD THAT TIGER!!!!

Frankly Folks, I’m glad that Siberian Tiger did a number on those punk fools!!

O.K. before I have someone try and pull my hair, I am going to have to say that no one wants to see someone’s kid die. Even a 17 year old kid. And I do feel sorry for the family’s loss.

BUT!!!!!--------- And this is a Pretty Big But!!! What where those idiots doing to antagonize the Tiger to leave its compound???!!!!!

Before I even heard about the footprint on the railing, I just knew those idiots had to have been teasing the tiger, they may have even climbed over the railing and dangled out over the moat and encroached on the Tiger’s territory.

People forget, Tigers, Lions, Bears, even Mountain Lions and Wolves are territorial, invade that area that is already the ownership of one of those beasts and you are in serious trouble.

This Tiger must have felt that it was being invaded and did what Tigers do, SHOW THEM WHOSE THE BOSS!!! A Turf War of the Claw kind.

I do not believe for one minute that the 17 year old risked his life to save the other two,
I think he was petrified maybe yelled; the Tiger turned it’s attention to that idiot while his so-called buddies who most likely cause the situation in the first place running like hell, and in one magnificent leap taught him who was Boss, then the other two ran for their lives and of course the Tiger’s natural instincts came into play, running away equals that’s prey, LUNCH!!!!

(Hey remember that scene in the movie “Defending my life” where the gal, played by Merle Streep is shown a past life as a heroic Knight and the poor Schnook sees that in his past life he’s some sort of Sabu type being chased by a Tiger, and she says “I was a Knight in a past life what were you” and he replies “Lunch”)

Now the two idiots are no saints---they are up on criminal charges and have to go to court in January for something else and even neighbors say that they and their family are always causing trouble in the neighborhood, These two idiots already have criminal records, so I say THEY MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO TORMENT OR TEASE THE TIGER, THEY STARTED IT AND THE TIGER FINISHED IT.

And I want to ask everyone this question----we forget they were visiting the Zoo on Christmas Day---visiting the zoo on Christmas DAY… What is not right with this scenario? I could understand if it was older kids taking out the little munchkins to the zoo to entertain them while the adults got Christmas Day dinner ready, BUT they were not doing anything of that sort.

They live in San Jose, San Jose is a one hour drive from San Francisco, and couldn’t they get into trouble in San Jose? Why did they drive one whole hour to San Francisco on Christmas Day?

Christmas Day you spend with family, stay close to home, and have a touch football game.

The 17 year old may have been a nice kid but what is he doing hanging around criminal types and trouble makers---Did his parents know what kind of friends (if you can call them that) he was hanging around with??? Did they complain about his choices??? Did he behave like all teenage boys do and just leave the house fuming, when he was told his choices were wrong and he refused to listen???

Why wasn’t he home with the parents??? On Christmas Day, why wasn’t he doing something to help the parents out or celebrating at home on Christmas Day.

I just bet he had a fight with good old Dad and walked out of the house pissed, went over to his criminal buddies house, they were having fights with their parents (remember the neighbors complaints?) and they just took off looking for trouble.

They land at the Zoo because to go any further you’d be in the Ocean, the zoo was the only thing open, and then being idiots and trying to be like big tough guys (which they are not) they tormented the Tiger.

O.K. I know that people are going to say to me, “but the moat was too low, that’s how the tiger got out, the Zoo is at fault”

Excuse me---the zoo’s fault is that the tiger moat was not high enough----since it was built in the late 30’s as a WPA project it was most likely built for a Bengal Tiger, Bengal Tigers are smaller than Siberians by 2 feet, and their reach is shorter. No Tiger had escaped from the Zoo before by climbing up the Moat---until Dec 25 when 3 stupid idiots tormented the Tiger by encroaching on its territory to the point that it felt threatened.

Hey I’m no Zoologist but even I with my education can figure that out---DUH!!!

Now 4 years ago the Zoo passed inspection, but within the 4 years things have changed and the next time it would have had to do something to increase the barriers, BUT remember it COSTS Money to do that. And Zoo’s are almost always at the bottom of a public works list for funds.

Do I hold the Zoo responsible??? NO, I DO NOT! Why? Because they, the zoo, had taken reasonable precautions given the limited funds to protect the public, with an outside examination which they were due for, they would have been informed of the steps they needed to take further.

But things happen that are beyond the normal behavior of the HUMAN ANIMAL---yes Human Animal---and that is what these 3 idiots are ANIMALS of the Stupid kind.

Most people would have said “Hey look at the Tiger” Take pictures maybe say “Here Kitty, Kitty” but they would not have dangled themselves over the moat and invade, YES INVADE, the Tiger’s Territory. Even Tiger’s are aware of the boundaries and expect the HUMAN ANIMALS TO DO THE SAME.

But then we are dealing with CRIMINAL IDIOTS!!!

The big mistake that 17 year old did what hang around the wrong people.

The second mistake was not behaving in a reasonable humanoid manner and instead thought tormenting the Tiger would be fun.

If the Parents of the 17 year old are going to sue, they should sue the two criminal companions for endangering their son’s life not the Zoo.

The Zoo should sue all three for the loss of a Magnificent 4 year old female (and they are smaller than the males) Siberian Tiger.

The police had to do what they had to do; they didn’t know that everything was started by those 3 idiots---of which the two criminals were not helpful but instead belligerent.

Hell I would have let their wounds become infected and then maybe they’d lose some limbs or something.

This Mean Kitty is on the Tiger’s Side, there should be a memorial for the Tiger, not the idiot that got himself killed because he did not choose his friends wisely.

Animals behave as animals do---but humans are suppose to be reasonable, thinking, rational creatures----we are suppose to be above going around in a animal type behavior, we are also suppose to respect the actions of animals, and be aware of them, you don’t take a dogs’ food away from a dog, you don’t go behind a horse and spook them, deer will run but they will also fight as well, I have seen fights between squirrels and cats and the kitty loses, he loses to a squirrel!!

There should be classes in schools done in grammar, middle and high school to teach kids about animal behavior and how to behave and respect animals. Do not have a Disney Bambi attitude to animals, they don’t think like humans, they operate on instinct and we as human beings have the responsibility to take care of them, preserve them, treat them humanely, (even when they are slaughtered for our food) and when they are in a zoological garden (that is what a zoo is) they should be respected.

They have only one defense against anyone whom they (the animals) view as a threat and that is to attack first before they are killed.

And this Mean Kitty has to honor and respect that feeling.

Something which those 3 idiots did not, so they got what they deserve.

This Mean Kitty signing off claws out and on the Tiger’s side.

Paris Hilton and Grandpa

I APPLAUDE WHAT PARIS HILTONS GRANDPA IS DOING!!!

Yeah Grandpa!!!

He’s giving away 97% of the Hilton Fortune to Charity to help the less fortunate and Paris, will only get 5 million dollars NOT the 100 million that she would have gotten.

I guess that’s going to make her less beautiful sister really pissed off. As well as other family members.

Of course the way Paris is going she’ll run though that 5 million in 18 months, She is going to hate being on a budget. (But frankly who cares, she needs a serious lesson)

I mean look at what this idiot has been doing, wasting her time doing stupid things (although not as stupid as Brittany Spears) and this is payback.

Ahem!! However she is still getting 5 million dollars; Think what I could do with 1 million! pay off my house and the second mortgage, pay off my credit card debt, upgrade the electrical and plumbing, paint the interior, install a new heating system, pave the driveway and still have plenty left over to put into some income making Money Market accounts and go to Disneyland!!!

Of course I’d still be working, having a job can still be interesting, but Boo Hoo Paris is still going to have to get by on a paltry 5 million, couldn’t happen to a nicer dumb idiot.

This Mean Kitty signing off purring

One last Christmas Rant

Well Folks,

I didn’t do too much of a rant on the Exploitation of Christmas, but I’m still pissed off of the so-called “Thought Police” forcing people to have to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas---IT’S CHRISTMAS Doggone it!!! And I for one am going to keep saying it.

I WISH we could still have the Nativity Displays in a public area because the public really needs to be Reminded what the Christmas Season is all about---and that it’s something we should keep in people’s hearts all year long.

Sorry I don’t do Kwanzaa I’ve never felt comfortable about that ritual. Why? Because it’s not part of my particular upbringing, it’s o.k. for those for whom they feel as part of their heritage it should be and that’s just fine. But don’t force it on me because really we are now into the 12 days of Christmas---

Yeah Folks the 12 Days of Christmas is from Christmas the time of the birth of Jesus to Epiphany Jan 6 when according to legend the 3 wise men showed up and by their bringing of the 3 sacred gifts declared him the new born King. And New Years Day is the Day of his (ouch) circumcision and that is when Simon and Anna two holy people who lived and prayed at the Temple declared how special this baby is.

See Folks that is the real Christmas Season that is the real 12 days of Christmas.

But we forget it because of all the Hype that Commercialism has done the 4 weeks before.

Well in the Christian Calendar the 4 weeks before is Advent that is to prepare yourself for the coming of this special event, the announcing of the word made flesh. Gives one goose bumps when you think of it.

But no we go into a round of gift buying, tree buying, putting up snowmen, elves, and penguins and raising our electric bill.

But don’t get me wrong here, I love all the decorations that people do, even if it means going into debt to do it. Why? Well just when it’s getting really frozen turkey butt cold and dark I mean really dark, we as human beings do our best to brighten things up.

It’s a ritual of reminder and renewal, to take that deep breath and have fun after all the hard work of spring, summer and fall is over.

But Folks it should also be a Spiritual reminder as well, to enjoy family, be with family (unless they are really toxic) or help those who need help, or who are lonely. The elderly, the helpless, and the giving of self.

It’s not about After Christmas sales and fights for a parking space; it’s a spiritual reminder which we all seem to forget.

I think I’m feeling this way because Ms. Bhutto the woman candidate in Pakistan was assaninated ----yes folks I do not believe what the Pakistani Government is saying that lady was assaninated for trying to bring democracy and women’s rights into a male dominating government that will kill you if you don’t worship the way they do.

Well I hope her party wins and they don’t forget women’s rights. And I have to confess, I pray every day that evil, like those who assassinated that woman, that the evil that killed over 3,000 people on Sept 11 and others like them is washed away from the face of this earth and that any extremist belief religious or otherwise that promotes such hatred and horrible acts is also washed away.

Sounds blood thirsty?? Well Folks what the heck do you think they are doing?? Remember that!

Mean Kitty signing off with her claws out.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

How to ruin a Christmas dinner---without dogs or cats~~~

You know folks, this mean kitty loves Christmas, I love going to church, the singing, the prayers, the idea of what Christmas is all about.

But I also love seeing the happy faces on the kiddie relatives when they get their gifts, of course I'm simple unless they are under the age of 7 then they get money, under 7 I ask a parent what the muchinkin would like and then let them know what I've bought so there's no duplication.

I also love exchanging stories about the different events in each other's lives. But most of all I love sitting down to a wonderful dinner, inhaleing the wonderful food scents, saying "Grace", Blessing the cooks and enjoying the wonderful flavors.

Unless we happen to go to one particular relatives house, then it can be a disaster. This Relative whose name will be Typhoid Mary or T.M. for short, said that Xmas dinner will be at her house this year.

Well I just knew that at best the food would get to the table barely warm at worst, below room tempture, but at least it would have some flavor-----but this year ****sigh**** THIS YEAR it was a disaster.

I mean if the place was invaded by 7 hungry blood hounds like in the movie "Christmas Story" I could understand, If the kitchen had caught on fire, I could understand, If the stove had blown up I could understand, if the "Johnstown Flood" had revisted our community I COULD UNDERSTAND!!

BUT FROZEN SUPERMARKET LASANA?????? And cheese only Lasana at that---no meat, no guts to it. It was defrosted, it was cooked, but to say that it was tepid was being charitible at best, a solid block of cheese at worst----garlic bread with melted cheese that was not even room tempture and the cheese was a solid slab, lettuce that was a bit wilted ( and it wasn't even warm spinach salad which is suppose to be wilted) bottle thousand island dressing, water to drink, no soft drinks, no sparkling cider, and for dessert plain vanilla ice cream without any chocolate syrup or hot fudge-----the only thing that was palitable was the coffee it was hot and there was sugar but no cream or milk.

No roasted veggies, no olives for the kids to stick on their fingers, no pickles or small picked onions, no hot gravy, no hot dish to speak of, no apple, peach or berry pie, heated from the microwave, just wilted salad and hard bread.

Well we looked at each other and not at T.M. and we all put our best faces on, ate a little to be polite, had the coffee to warm our innards, and then as soon as we all could thanked T.M. for dinner and then regrouped at my brother's house and had left overs of Heated Ham, with applesauce, steamed carrots, baked yams (o.K. they were canned yams but they tasted good), raided my brother's stash of soft drinks and put the ice maker into overtime, it took an hour to bake the Ms. Smiths pies but we had dessert.

And we looked at each other and said "what was T.M. thinking??"

This Mean Kitty has never, ever served a dinner that bad, I mean I've burned the pot roast once but it was saveable, I have burnt potatoes I mean who hasn't but tepid Frozen Supermarket cheese Lasana for Christmas dinner has got to be the worst, even if you had to be tight with money at least the Lasana could have been HOT!!

It does explain why T.M.'s husband and kids are so skinny and why they eat like ravenous wolves when they are at other relatives houses for dinner.

There is an old saying "Beauty cannot be eaten with a spoon" which means even if you are a beautiful woman you better be able to cook, because if you can't then the man in your life will starve, which in some countries there are men who look for women who not only are good looking but can cook, but if they are not too good looking if they can cook like a goddess who cares!!

But in T.M.'s case she is not beautiful and she can't cook or at least bring the food to the table hot or even plan a dinner.

This Mean Kitty is praying that next Christmas the dinner is at another relatives' house I know the rest of them can cook up a storm.

This mean kitty signing off for the night suffering nightmares from frozen lasana---oh where is the seltzer.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

An Update and a Xmas Rant~~~

O.K. Folks-----I'm going to do the rant first.

WHY OH WHY DO STUPID IDIOT PEOPLE HAVE TO TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING????!!!!!!

O.K. this is the last weekend (terrifying weekend) before Xmas (I'm going to use Xmas for the commercial side of this holiday and Christmas for the Spiritual)-----and of course if anyone has a bit of sanity left you make sure ALL your shopping is done by this weekend and just spend this weekend wrapping those presents.

Now me---who has lost her mind a long time ago (thanks to IDIOTS!!!) made the mistake of going out and doing last minute shopping---well as least I got to the stores early and excerise a lot of paticence in finding a parking space-----trust me, in finding a parking space you have got to have a lot of paticence.

WHY??? You may ask but the answer is ugly----It's INAPPROPRATE CELLPHONE USAGE!!!

You do not have to answer and call anyone and everyone while your car is in motion. Park it someplace (safe) and then talk. Today----Just Today I saw 6 almost accidents and every single person who would have been at fault was on a Cell phone!!!

The 7th accident did happen and the person at fault was on a Cellphone so I had FUN (you can tell I'm enjoying this part) giving an eye witness account to the IDIOTS STUPIDITY!!! Now Cellphone Bozo Boy is going to have to payout of his insurance the damaged done to the other persons car who was in the right---and he kept coming around and saying to me "It wasn't my fault" right when the Cop was there and the Cop kept saying "back off".

Finally I got so fed up with the idiot when he came around again that I said "I saw the whole thing---you were on your cell phone not paying attention and you rammed into the Lady's car---you were AT Fault---now Back off before I have Mr. Nice Policeman have you arrestted for Harrassing me!" (excuse the spelling folks but I am pissed off).

Well I had even greater fun watching Mr. Nice Policeman put the cuffs on the idiot because---are you ready for this Folks? He had outstanding warrents for speeding---Ha! HAh! So not only is his insurance going to be hit with the repairs, but he's going to Jail!

Merry Xmas!

I do have to confess it did warm the cockles of my heart (whatever cockles are). It was more fun than watching the "COPS" show. I kept humming the bad boy song that even the nice policeman was smiling.

But Folks are you getting the point---why do you have to be on that Cellphone----haven't you heard the old saying "Silence is Golden"? It can also save your life and your pocket book.

O.K. that's the Rant Now for the UPDATE!!

I said in my last post, that Virginia O'Hanlons old house (when she wrote the famous letter) was too far gone to be saved-----well I was wrong----yeah even mean Kittys can be wrong.

It's true that it was badly deteriorated, but is was savable. As a matter of fact it has been saved, in a New York Times News article, I read that a college prep private school, did a major fund raising effort and bought Virginia home and the house next to it. Had it repaired and restored---joined the two buildings together and made it into their permanet home for their school.

The principal said that it was very interesting that the school was founded the same year that Virginia O'Hanlon passed away, 1971----that Virginia was a school teacher for 47 years and now her old home is going to be a school---it was only right and a proper fitting end to the story.

And the school is also going to put up a memorial placque commemorating the event of the "Yes Virginia" letter.

As I said a right and proper fitting happy ending to little Virginia's story.

Oh and by the way I said that Francis P. Church's older brother's name was Matthew, I was also wrong----it was Marcellus----I mean give me a break, who'd remember Marcellus? But we do want to have as correct as possible our facts.

So how is this Mean Ol' Kitty going to spend her Christmas?

Well first I'm going to church on Christmas Eve---Midnight Mass and everything---I'm going to be freezing because that church is big and it's drafty, so the leg warmers, the artic socks, the knit hat, scarf and gloves and the warmest coat I can find.

But---well----stop and think Folks----O.K. so they say that Jesus could not have been born in the winter time, because it was lambing season so the Christian church borrowed (or stole) the Winter Festival.

But put that aside---think of all those people out there, with no shelter, no warm place, no food, no one to help them----even though the Christian Church did borrow (steal) the winter holiday it does bring home the idea of us giving of ourselves something to help those who are less fortunate, what greater time of the year to remember the difficulties that those who are in need, need help.

That is why the Midnight Mass, the cold and drafty church---but the lights and the music all to remind us that many are fortunate, and many are not.

Then the next day I'll be spending time with Family, sharing past memories, watching future ones form, and just being with love ones and feeling contented and lucky, very Lucky.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanakah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Boxing Day (for all you Candanians) And for all you Atheists----GET A LIFE!!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING!

Mean Kitty snuggling up with a cuppa Hot Chocolate and listening to Christmas songs, signing off for 2007.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus!"

OK. Everyone I’ve always said that I’m a mean kitty and that’s true but I’m no Grinch, or a ‘Bah, Humbug Scrooge’.

I mean I never tell a kid that there is no Santa Claus, because in my personal experience I’ve encountered some unexplainable things that can only be attributed to some sort of “Santa Claus Spirit” Yep a spirit.

Because it’s got to be a special “energy” in which “Santa Claus” can come around, now in places like Botswana---the energy there has been almost killed, except for those few hardy souls that do what they can to at least keep it on life support. God Bless Them!

But a hundred years ago this year, a little girl by the name of Virginia O’Hanlon had an 8 year old crisis of faith. See little Virginia had a birthday in July of that year and it must have been a very nice birthday, but in September, when she went back to school her school friends must have asked her “what did you do during the Summer” and she must have told them about her birthday and the presents she got---and during that moment she must have said out loud “I wonder what Santa Claus will bring at Christmas?”

Now it must have been a nasty 9 year old boy who told her that Santa Claus doesn’t exist (boys are like that you know—he must have received coal in his stocking last year) but Virginia believed and of course she went home crying that day and must have told her mother, her mother being busy as a mother is may have said “I’m sure Santa does exist” but Virginia wanted it from an authority so when Dad came home she put the question to him. Now Virginia’s father was a doctor and worked as an assistant coroner with the New York police dept. both as a doctor and as a coroner he must have seen the very sad and seamy underside of life that he wanted to protect or shield his family and his young daughter from.

1897 was also a very skeptical period of time, the Civil war was barely over 33 years ago and there were still very hard feelings and loss from that, it was a skeptical age, people were no longer believing in God, if a God could do all that harm. Dr. O’Hanlon was dumfounded when Virginia tearfully told him what had happened at school. But he was a resourceful man, he knew he didn’t have the words to explain this to her, nor did he want to burst her belief in Santa, but here was an 8 year old slowly timidly knocking on adulthoods’ door.

From time to time if there was any question to be settled Dr. O’Hanlon and other members of his family would write to the Question and Answer dept of the New York Sun Newspaper. And Dr. O’Hanlon had the habit of saying “That if it’s in the Sun, it’s so”. That was how powerful journalism was in those days. So he suggested to Virginia to write to the Sun Newspaper.

The Sun was a very lively newspaper in its writing and editorials, back then other newspapers would always write editorial rebuttals to other newspapers, this was a form of rivalry. The Sun remained being published until the mid 1950’s.

Surprisingly Virginia’s letter did not go to the Question and Answer column, it was re-directed to the Publisher of the newspaper a Mr. Mitchell who read it and thought that it would be best to answer it as an editorial and the best man for the job was Francis P. Church.

Church was the son of a Baptist minister the Rev. Pharcellus Church, Francis was the middle son of three boys and surprisingly his eldest brother Matthew and his younger brother John Adams were better known than Francis, even their Father was of some renown having established a publication on religion. Francis and his older brother founded the Army and Navy magazine in 1862 and later the Gazette magazine which was later bought by the Atlantic Monthly, both brothers acted as correspondents during the Civil War until Matthew joined the Union army and attainted the rank of Captain, Francis continued as a war correspondent. Younger brother John Adams became a famous mining engineer and later in life was at Tombstone, Arizona at the time of the gunfight at the O.K.Corrall.

Francis was an editor in 1897 at the Sun and was frequently handed any assignments that dealt with theology, because of his life experience Francis P. Church was a sardonic personality and had no time for “fluff or flummery”. His was a logical type of thinking and he like many others had been affected by the loss of humanity from the Civil War.

Mitchell handed the letter to Church who at first refused it, thinking it some sort of joke, but Mitchell said it wasn’t a joke, so with great resignation Church took the letter and began to work an editorial about it.

What he created was a 500 word editorial masterpiece for its day and it added to the idea of Santa Claus as being a spirit of belief in a skeptical age. Church realized that here was a child who was approaching adulthood, to just say yes Santa exists would not be enough, he had to explain what Santa was, in a way that was acceptable to children and also wake up the minds of adults to have “goodness, compassion and love” in their hearts. He realized that Santa was bigger than a grown up, that is was a question of faith in times of adversity. Something inspired Francis P. Church, a man that had no time for “fluff” or foolishness.

Now this editorial did not run in December of 1897 but in September of that month and was the 7th of 12 editorials that ran on page 10 of the Sun. But there was something about it that captured the minds, hearts and spirits of the reading public.

Most of the time when any newspaper ran an editorial, especially about a controversial subject other newspapers would do editorial rebuttals---but this one no newspaper dared to write a rebuttal----

It was the Sun’s policy to not give any editorial credit but have it as a Sun Newspaper response; no one knew that Francis P. Church wrote it. The Sun never republished it although there was great demand, finally 6 years after The Sun did, still not crediting Church---when it was republished it was with this snippy phrase “…that perhaps people’s scrapbooks were wearing out.”

In 1898 Church married, but had no children and continued writing at the Sun until several months before his death, he died in April 1906 after an illness of 3 months, he was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. So great was his loss felt that the Sun took a remarkable step and announced that Church was the author of “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” and the following December the Sun started re-printing the editorial on an annual basis, many other newspapers followed suit. As a matter of fact other newspapers had started re-printing it when the Sun didn’t.

The letter that little Virginia sent was mailed back to her by an assistant editor and is preserved along with the original editorial by the grandchildren of Virginia O’Hanlon.

What happened to little Virginia---well as all children she grew up, went to college became a school teacher, married for a short time, had a daughter, and taught school for 47 years. During her adult life she received many letters about that remarkable question and she answered every single one and included a beautifully printed copy of the letter and the editorial reply. She said that reading that reply in the Sun affected her course in life for the better good. She died in 1971 at the age of 81. She is buried near Rochester, New York.

It was feared that the letter she wrote was destroyed in a house fire, but some years later it was found safe and sound, and was shown on Antiques Road Show in 1998 and valued at over $50,000.00 for its remarkableness.

The brownstone house that Virginia lived when she wrote the letter suffered a fire some years later and was too badly gone to be preserved.

But it’s better that Virginia be an 8 year old child in a Victorian skeptical age that asked a simple question to be answered by a man who has seen too many disillusions in life. In doing so it has given them both immortality and it is, perhaps the best description of the true meaning and idea of “Santa Claus”.

So without further adieu I give you “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.


(I thank Newseum website for this copy) And if I got some of my facts a little wrong, I do tell you that the bulk of this blog is correct.

So you any of you think that we have become to commerialized in this world, well let me tell you something, I saw at Target today an 11 year old girl who was carefully selecting things for her Grandma, her two younger sisters and her Mom and she was paying for it out of money she had saved from collecting cans and bottles over the year. Her Dad was proud of her choices and her sense of finacial responsiblity.

I asked her why was she buying these things and she said "It's my way of saying 'thank you for being here and I love you', but I know that they know I love them, but it feels good."

The father said that most of the money that's brought intothe house hold goes to paying bills and the house and food, and it's a good thing he knows how to fix the family car , they take bus or Bart. No trips or anything but they find ways of having fun that's free and low cost. They had major medical bills and are slowly getting out from under them. He has no desire of taking out a loan or going into debt.

I looked at her and said, "You know the real meaning of Christmas" and she smiled at me.

So I asked her "What can I get for a brother who has everything and can be a bit of a tease" and she said "A Screaming, Flying Monkey, I've seen it at Bed, Bath and Beyond"---and she was right--not a bad buy for $5.00.

So this mean kitty is going to put on "Miracle on 34th Street" and have a steaming cup of hot chocolate, because she has had her faith renewed.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

It Ain't Racial Profiling!!!

It’s Mean Kitty and I’m Hissy Mad.

I’ve been watching on T.V. and reading in the newspapers about Alameda P.D. doing their best to catch the killers of an innocent young girl who was shot and killed on Halloween.

They catch them, thanks to civic minded citizens and everyone wanting to get these animals off the streets, and then guess what happens, a bunch of idiots claims it was racial profiling!!!!

RACIAL PROFILING!! My Aunt Minnie’s Pajama’s!!! It wasn’t Racial Profiling, ya dumb idiots, it was people who heard and saw the killers BRAG---Yes Folks---BRAG—about how they shot that girl and how she fell after being shot!!

But Heaven Help us if it was Racial Profiling----the protestors claimed that the two previous criminals that were arrested and then let go were innocent of the killing---BUT what they don’t say, which Did come out in the news is that the one’s that were first arrested, had felony warrants on them anyway, even if they were not the one’s that did the killing. P.D. knew that they would squeal on the killers.

And the eye witnesses gave a description of the shooter---and if the drawing that was plastered in the newspapers and shown on T.V. showed that shooter didn’t look Asian from the eye witnesses’ description then I’m cock-eyed optometrist because that picture sure looked Asian to me.

Then they get all upset because the police went into the homes heavily armed, well excuse me, but wasn’t it described that the shooter was ARMED AND DANGEROUS!!!???

Do you think that any reasonable person is going to go up against an Armed and Dangerous person with a Water Pistol or a Pillow???!!! Hellllooooooo are we talking brain trust here???

Man I wanted them to go in with grenade launchers and Uzi’s and get these criminals off the streets!!!

O.K. now here’s the sad part of all of this----the killer is 16 years old and his companions are anywhere between 13 and 16 years old and they are going around trying to rob for money!!!

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL THE PARENTS WERE DOING!!!

HEY PARENTS DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE CRIMINAL IS DOING TONIGHT??? DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE’S GOING??? WHO HE IS HANGING AROUND WITH???

IS HIS OR HER GRADES UP TO PAR---IS HE OR SHE HAVING AN ATTITUDE AT SCHOOL?

OR HAVE YOU GIVEN UP ON THEM---THEN LETS LAY THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS---FIRST AT THE PARENTS---THEN AT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT BACKS DOWN WHEN THE PARENTS SAY---- Hey my kid DESERVES a good grade even if they don’t do the homework----And if you Don’t give him a good grade I’ll make you lose your job, because I don’t believe you when you say my kid is Acting Out!!

Do we need more Schools??? Yes but only if they are run the way I Recommended in a previous blog and MAKE THE PARENTS TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR KIDS ACTIONS---HELL THROW THE PARENTS IN JAIL TOO!!!! That will shake them up.

Because if Parents don’t back the school and make those kids behave, the schools can’t be the one to punish a kid if they act up, it’s the parents and if the parents don’t do it, then instead of building schools you are going to have to build more jails.


Remember PROVERBES 23: 13-14 Spare NOT the rod from the wayward evil doer,
for it shall not kill them but deliver them from
the devil.

Remember GENSIS 9: 6--- “Who so sheddeth man’s blood by man shall his blood be
Shed.”

Which means that Capitol Punishment is endorsed by the Holy Bible.

W.H. Auden says “Murder is unique in that is abolishes the party it injures, so that society must take the place of the victim, and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness”

I say that there is NO Forgiveness for these bunch of animals----nor for the parents that brought them up and took no control of them.

But now what has me even more upset---there is a State in our Fair Union that has a bill on the floor to BAN Corporal punishment of one's own child.

Hellooooo FUTURE CRIMINALS HERE---Trust me there are some kids out there in which "Time Out" does not work but a quick smack on the bottom does. And there is a lot of fat on kids bottoms. And there are a lot of parents out there that do nothing to correct their kids behavior and then what---wait until they are 16 years old or 11 or 12 or 13 and they go out and kill someone???? Is that what it's going to take????

Kids have no fear of their parents anymore or of those in authority because they really don't believe they will be punished. What has happened to the MORAILTY OF THE WORLD???

Oh don't worry---Mommie and Daddy will protect me, and I can do anything I like ---- Like killing someone Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!

WAKE UP FOLKS AND ALL YOU PARENTS OUT THERE----YOU ARE THE ONE'S CREATING CRIMINALS WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE CRACKING THE BOOKS, GETTING GOOD GRADES, GIVING THEM CHORES TO DO, AND RESPONSIBLITIES THEY HAVE MAINTAIN---CRIMINALS START AT HOME!!!

W.H. Auden said "Evil is always unspectacular and alwys human. And shares our bed...and eats at our table" take a look at the child that is not at home and not eating at your table when that child should be.

Tonight---Right Now---do you know where your child is at?? Do you know what your child is doing??? Are you ---by your neglet creating a criminal??

Mean Kitty pissed off and signing off and discussed with Parents.