In a strictly tongue-in-cheek jab at their sister publication at Conde Nast, the editors of Vanity Fair have satirized the controversial New Yorker magazine cover depicting Barack and Michelle Obama. It will only appear on their website, but you have to admit it’s funny.
The Vanity Fair cover similarly reflects stories that have swirled around McCain and his wife Cindy, seen here cradling vials of pills while the Senator leans on a walker. The American flag isn’t burning in the fireplace; instead it’s the U.S. Constitution. In place of a portrait of Osama bin Laden, a likeness of President Bush hangs on the wall.
“…And this is my wife Laura and my daughter Jenna. I’m sorry your wife and kids couldn’t make the trip, your Popeness.”
You can feel it in the air. All around us people are hustling and bustling about, filling the stores and malls in search of just the right present for their loved ones. Christmas time is just days away.
While the holiday season is typically a joyous and festive occasion marked by gift-giving and merriment, not everyone is so fortunate. Every year a deserving few dream of a visit from Santa and hope they too will be remembered, but more often than not they are left unsatisfied. This year, you can do something to help.
Show your love this year for someone who would truly appreciate hearing from you. Click on this link and go directly to a site where you can select a nice gift from a long list of his favorite items, and have it sent in time for the holidays. That special someone will be deeply appreciative and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you brought joy to his heart this Christmas.
A simple act of kindness goes long, long way. Please give generously.
(What, you thought I was talking about some poor kids or something?)
I dont recall how old I was when I began to doubt the whole Santa Claus thing, but I know I was pretty young. I was a precocious kid to begin with, so when I began to put 2 + 2 together, it just wasnt coming out 4.
For starters, if Santa was up at the North Pole making toys, then how come you kept seeing him at all those department stores, in parades and on street corners ringing bells? Shouldnt he be off working somewhere? My father tried to convince me, Those are his elves, dispatched as emissaries apparently to make all those public appearance dates.
And speaking of toys, how come we saw so many commercials on tv? Again, Mom and Dad were quick with the spin control. Santa farms out some of the toy manufacturing in order to meet the demand.
Ok, semi-plausible to a 6 year old. But then other stuff still didnt add up.
If Santa comes down chimneys, how did he get into our house? We didnt have a chimney. If he came to the front door, hed have to ring the bell and my bedroom was right near the doorbell. I never heard nothin!
How does he make it to every house in the world in one night? And how does he tell the Christian houses from the Jewish houses or the Moslem houses or just the people who dont celebrate Christmas? Something was fishy.
It started to become really obvious to me that this was all a racket run by a big eastern syndicate, when Mom would tell us to look through the Spiegel Christmas catalog and decide what we wanted. Then unmarked boxes would show up weeks or days before Christmas and shed go to great pains to hide them from us.
So one day I sat her down for a heart to heart. I made sure to do it in private, in case my younger brother wasnt as hip. Mom, is there really a Santa Claus? I asked.
What do you think? was her clever way of shifting responsibility for this momentous revelation.
I expressed my serious reservations, she confirmed them and that was that. I was no longer a child.
I was advised to keep it to myself because not only was my little brother clueless (but not for long), but so were other kids, and she didnt think it was fair to spoil it for them. Good thing I listened too because one day, walking home from school, two of my best friends and I got into it and our opinions were all over the map. One of them still believed, while the other was also a non-believer, in Santa anyway. But I still believe in the Easter Bunny he said most confidently. (Ok, I never once believed in big rabbits delivering eggs or for that matter, fairies doling out money for your baby teeth, but who was I to ruin it for him.)
Ever since that fateful day, this holiday has never been the same. That sense of surprise, as you wake up Christmas morning to see what Santa brought, is gone. I know ahead of time whether or not Im going to get anything or not and pretty much what it is. As Ive reached adulthood (ok, middle age) I am able to get most of the things I want and need myself.
But that doesnt mean I dont still enjoy getting gifts. And you can help restore my lost sense of wonder by visiting my wishlist and picking out something you think Id really like!
Cmon, you knew this was all leading up to my annual appeal, didnt you?
Happy Holidays!