The "blanket with sleeves" Wars

Who says competition is bad? Have you noticed all the different "blankets with sleeves" you can get these days?

First it was the Freedom Blanket. Then came the Slanket and the more TV visible Snuggie. Did you know there are variations on most of them now? They have smaller versions for children. They have even smaller versions for dogs! Not only can you now get them in a variety of colors, you can get them with your favorite team logo on them! I've even seen them with Transformers on them. So if it wasn't for the competition between the "blanket with sleeves" manufacturers, we'd all have one the same size and in the same color. How boring.

Santa Claus: Last thought of the year

One more thought on Santa Claus and I'll move on.

Consider all the trash that is brought into the country on Christmas.

Every present it wrapped, so there's lots of paper.

Most toys come in a box of some sort, so there's lots of boxes, not to mention all the hardware used to secure the toys to the boxes.

Think of all the trees used for paper and the boxes. If your local landfill has cardboard recycling, be sure and put those boxes in the recycling bin!

Santa Claus Lane?

In the song "Here Comes Santa Claus" it states "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus, Right down Santa Claus Lane". I've always thought that was a very strange lyric because what the heck is "Santa Claus Lane?" I did a little research and figured out what it means. Gene Autry wrote the song in 1946 riding his horse in the "Santa Claus Lane Parade" in Los Angeles. As Santa came down the parade route people chanted "here comes Santa Claus". Today the "Santa Claus Lane Parade" is known as the "Hollywood Christmas Parade".

Santa Claus: Threat to the Economy

As previously stated Santa and his elves live in international “waters.” This leaves Santa free from all kinds of regulations and gives him an unfair advantage over manufacturers in recognized countries.

Labor Laws – The elves, are they unionized? I doubt it. Do the elves even get paid? Their labor must cover their room and board. How about health care? If Santa’s workshop was a country, organized labor would be protesting any free trade with Santa. But since Santa gives his toys away, this causes economic problems to be discussed later.

Safety – There’s no OSHA at the North Pole, so who protects the elves? There’s no lawsuits either.

Environmental Laws – Santa is free to pollute all he wants to. If he needs a new building, no need for an environmental impact study, he can just go build with no problems. Imagine all the wood he burns to keep his home warm. He probably doesn’t heat the shop the elves work in as well (see labor and safety above).

Taxes – None zip nada. He pays no one. Since the elves aren’t paid, they aren’t paying income taxes either.

The economic impact of Santa Claus is incalculable. Why would anyone buy toys for their children when some guy will visit your house in the middle of the night and leave some for FREE?? So if no one’s buying toys, then countless numbers of people lose their jobs.

Santa Claus is coming to town?

Let's take a quick look at an angle of Santa Claus that I don't think has been covered before.

What country is Santa Claus a resident of? According to Wikipedia, no country currently owns the North Pole. Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and the United States surround it. I guess technically there is no land at the north pole, just ice and snow. So that could mean he has no residency anywhere. Santa and his elves live in international “waters.”

NORAD tracks Santa, but what about the Department of Homeland Security? When Santa enters the country, I guess he has to first land at an International Airport to show his passport. If not, then obviously he's completely ignoring the US's sovereignty by coming and going all willy nilly. In reality, this would put him on all kinds of wanted lists and more than likely he’d either be denied entrance into the USA at the border or detained.