Santa Claus cleared for entry to US: official

WASHINGTON - Santa Claus was officially cleared for entry into the United States on Monday as federal agriculture officials waived stringent livestock checks on his nine reindeer.

The US Department of Agriculture announced in a light-hearted statement that a "Mr. S.Claus" of the North Pole was free to enter the United States with his reindeer from December 24 to December 25.

"During this season of giving, USDA wants to do everything in its power to help Santa," said John R. Clifford, USDA's Chief Veterinary Officer.

"We agreed to waive the normal application fees and entry inspection/overtime costs, provided he winks his eye and wishes port personnel a Merry Christmas at the time of crossing."

Authorities also waived the normal health checks for Santa's reindeer -- provided they met certain alternative conditions.

"As a condition of entry, the reindeer must be certified by Santa Claus as never having been fed anything other than hay, sugar plums and gingerbread," the statement said.

"The reindeer must also be individually identified with microchips or official eartag identification, and must respond to the names 'Dasher', 'Dancer', 'Prancer', 'Vixen', 'Comet', 'Cupid', 'Donner,' 'Blitzen' and 'Rudolph' when interacting with port personnel.

"No more than one reindeer in the group may be visibly affected by 'Rednose Syndrome', and upon entry, port personnel will visually inspect the reindeer to ensure they are healthy and fit for continued travel."

The reindeer would also be required to be "pulling a wooden sleigh that has jingling bells attached and is filled with brightly-wrapped gifts."

"Port personnel will clean and disinfect the runners and underside of the sleigh at the time of entry," the statement said.

The USDA's festive statement was in keeping with agencies who acknowledge the existence of Santa Claus, albeit with tongue firmly in cheek.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which polices the skies above Canada and the United States, regularly tracks the progress of Santa Claus and his reindeer in real time on its NORAD Santa Tracker (www.noradsanta.org).

source: interaksyon.com

Gaudy Christmas sweaters make a comeback

Retailers including boutique chain Kitson, based in Los Angeles, said ugly Christmas sweaters have made a comeback as ironic duds for younger generations.

Fraser Ross, owner of Kitson, said ugly Christmas sweater parties are filling the holiday void once occupied by tree trimming parties, as people in their 20s and 30s embrace the garishly decorated garments as humorous ways to celebrate the season, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"It's the new theme for hostesses who are trying to bring the mostest to holiday parties," he said. "It's like having a Halloween party during Christmas."

Evan Mendelsohn, co-founder of San Diego clothing brand Tipsy Elves, said ugly Christmas sweaters -- including playful depictions of conga-dancing reindeer, and Santa spelling "Merry Christmas" in the snow with his urine -- are proving to be holiday bestsellers.

"The majority of people buying are in their 20s or 30s who are sort of making light of what can be a serious holiday. It gives them an excuse to wear something funny," Mendelsohn said. "It's not going to die like a normal fashion trend."

Carin Agiman, owner of Berkeley, Calif., clothing label GeltFiend, said he launched a line of Hanukkah equivalents for the ugly Christmas sweaters to let Jewish revelers get in on the fun.

His brand includes a sweater picturing Hasidic snowmen and a dreidel cardigan.

"I have a lot of non-Jewish friends, so I get invited to a lot of ugly Christmas sweater parties," Agiman said. "There's been a lot of pent-up Jewish angst over not having some equivalent ugliness."

source: upi.com

A kiddie Christmas at Rustan’s

MANILA, Philippines - Kids and kids-at-heart will jump for joy at Rustan’s Department Store’s carefully selected roster of labels, toys and collector’s pieces from classic children’s collectors items to creative finds like Adora Dolls, Gund, Autoart Traxx, House of Marbles, Stephen Joseph, Lamaze and Kid Kraft, one is sure to find the perfect present that will bring unforgettable joy to your little loved ones.

For irresistibly cute outfits and heart-melting style statements,  Rustan’s in-house brand Kiddos has colorful and smart designs this season, while its latest addition, the Spanish brand Neck & Neck, goes strong with prints and give layering a new spin.

Have your children whisper their sweet wishes and finish their Christmas wish list with Santa Claus as he makes a weekly appearance on weekends at Rustan’s. Rustan’s is giving away Krispy Kreme goodies every day from Dec. 13 to 24 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

As a thank you to its shoppers and in keeping with its eco-conscious sensibilities, Rustan’s is giving away until Jan. 5, 2013 the revolutionary LED Magic Bulb, an eco-friendly rechargeable light bulb that stays on even in a blackout and doubles as a flashlight.

To redeem the Magic Bulb, you must collect three stamps and exchange the completed stamp card for the gift. One stamp will given for every P5,000 single-receipt purchase at Rustan’s during the promo period.

For more gift selections visit and inquire at any of the Rustan’s Department Store branches: Rustan’s Makati, 813-3739; Rustan’s Shangri-La, 633-4636; Rustan’s Alabang, 850-5532; Rustan’s Gateway, 911-2401.

source: philstar.com

Tech it away, Santa

There are so many gadgets out there that it makes picking just one for a Christmas gift to yourself really, really challenging.

But there is no challenge too big for a gadget lover like me. So here is a list of a few gadgets and then some, worth writing Santa about.

Iphone 5

Why I want it: My love affair with the iPhone began when I first held the iPhone 3G in 2007. Since then I have always included the iPhone in my must-have cell phone list. I like that what Apple has done is to build on a good product and make it better, so rather than introduce many iPhones, it stuck to just one good product. Because it’s an iPhone. People who have it have told me that the iPhone 5’s sleek design and speed of Internet connections make it better than my “old” iPhone 4S.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Why I want it: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 comes in a size that is great for capturing photos and making sure that I look good in them before Tweeting. The S-Pen, the Samsung stylus, is great for scribbling since I have stubby fingers. Of course, the fact that the Note 2 is thinner, lighter, faster and more attractive are reasons enough to include it in my must-have list.

G-Shock GA110 FC

Why I want it: Anyone who knows me knows that I like colors. And G-Shock watches are not only colorful — they are also shock proof and waterproof, making them perfect for me. Other features include mechanically designed hands, combination analog-digital timekeeping, and magnetic resistance. Of course, the fact it’s part of the limited-edition series makes for good bragging rights.

Asics Noosa Tri 7

Why I want it: I’m not a true-blue marathon runner. I am more of a village runner. I also love going to the gym and Asics Noosa is really fun to wear. The white letters on the front and back of the shoe glow in the dark. I am used to wearing running shoes at work all day — so I consider the Noosa a great pair of shoes for work. I just love the way Asics combines all the colors of the rainbow in its Noosa series.

HTC One X+

Why I want it: For starters it runs on the Android Jelly Bean. I am told that it is an upgrade from the HTC One S, of which I am a big fan. It has increased performance, longer battery life and expanded internal storage at 64GB — the most offered by any smartphone. It features a 1.7GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 AP37 processor. It features the newly launched Self-Portrait mode on the front camera, which applies enhancements to skin and eyes. Sightseeing Mode allows you to take photos even when the phone is locked as one touch of the power button bypasses the lock screen.

TRX suspension training

Why I like it: I am a gym buff. I spend as much time as I can in the gym — have been doing that for over 20 years. But sometimes when I travel all the hotel gyms have is a good treadmill. One of my workouts at the gym is TRX or suspension training, a form of resistance training that includes bodyweight exercises in which a variety of multi-planar, compound exercise movements can be performed. As I grow older, I like the use of the TRX because it means that I can do a lot of core exercises using body weight instead of heavy free weights. TRX training has helped in developing my strength, balance, flexibility, and joint stability by just hanging on to the ropes and doing a set of exercises — and there seem to be an unlimited set of exercises one can do with it.

source: philstar.com