Is it wrong for the military to track Santa?

jumpguy

I mean, shouldn't there be a seperate organisation set up? What if there was some attack and they were too busy tracking Santa? Also, this means the military could "accidentally" launch their missiles and blow Santa out of the sky, ruining Christmas for billions. :O

his year children will have a range of hi-tech options when it comes to following the progress of Santa on Christmas Eve.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) has been tracking Santa for over 50 years.

Children can follow his progress via its website or on Twitter, Facebook or via Google Maps or Google Earth.

It is becoming the hi-tech equivalent of reading The Night Before Christmas to excited children on Christmas Eve.

Father Christmas's journey starts at 1100GMT on 24 December and children can track his progress as he passes 24 "Santa cams" around the world.

This year they can also check out Santa's village and see how well the elves are getting on with making presents.

Norad volunteers are on hand on Christmas Eve to answer e-mails about Father Christmas's journey at noradtrackssanta@gmail.com.

Norad is a military organisation that is responsible for the aerospace and maritime defence of the US and Canada.

The tradition of tracking Father Christmas goes back to a misprint in a Colorado newspaper advertisement in 1955.

The hotline to Santa promised by the paper actually connected to what was known then as the Continental Air Defense Command (Conad).

As more phone calls came in, the commander on the other end of the phone started to pretend he was Santa and the tradition continued in 1958 when Conad became Norad.

Last year volunteers received 75,000 phone calls and about 6,000 e-mails from 200 countries.

The system works, according to Norad, because Rudolph the reindeer's famous nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8428718.stm

orourkeda

We know where he is.

He spoke to Gerry Ryan this morning.

Jumpy

Man if they do press the button I hope its one of those missiles with a camera. HO HO HOHMYGOD*booom*

Gillington

I sat on his lap in Stephens Green

Mal-Adjusted

jumpguy wrote: »

I mean, shouldn't there be a seperate organisation set up? What if there was some attack and they were too busy tracking Santa? Also, this means the military could "accidentally" launch their missiles and blow Santa out of the sky, ruining Christmas for billions. :O

so what, more quangos? it's not as if the military have any wars to fight anytime soon

orourkeda

Gillington wrote: »

I sat on his lap in Stephens Green

He sat on my lap in synnotts

oppenheimer1

It is entirely inappriopriate for NORAD to be participating in this. Its just propaganda to get children familiar with the military and influence their thinking in later life. It sickens me, typical brainwashing USA

TequilaMockingBird

He's at The Wall of China RIGHT NOW!!

AnonoBoy

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

It is entirely inappriopriate for NORAD to be participating in this. Its just propaganda to get children familiar with the military and influence their thinking in later life. It sickens me, typical brainwashing USA

And a merry Christmas to you too!

oppenheimer1

AnonoBoy wrote: »

And a merry Christmas to you too!

They want you to think its harmless fun... but its not. Think of the kind of resources they have to put in place to handle 75,000 calls on one night. The reasons are ultimately more sinister.

Johnny Giles

It's only for the kids. The military aren't really tracking "himself".

Helix

santa travels too fast to be tracked - faster than the speed of light within the earths atmosphere

i fear the military are fibbing

minidazzler

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

It is entirely inappriopriate for NORAD to be participating in this. Its just propaganda to get children familiar with the military and influence their thinking in later life. It sickens me, typical brainwashing USA

Oh, **** you Oppenheimer, who are you to criticise the military, you killed like thousands of people.

You are death, you are destroyer of worlds remember that! :P

jumpguy

Helix wrote: »

santa travels too fast to be tracked - faster than the speed of light within the earths atmosphere

i fear the military are fibbing

Surely not, if Santa travels that fast he'll exceed the maximum velocity allowed for his aircraft and his sleigh would be ripped into pieces.

Johnny Giles

jumpguy wrote: »

Surely not, if Santa travels that fast he'll exceed the maximum velocity allowed for his aircraft and his sleigh would be ripped into pieces.

:rolleyes:

Are you for real?

jumpguy

Johnny Giles wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Are you for real?

titan18

jumpguy wrote: »

Surely not, if Santa travels that fast he'll exceed the maximum velocity allowed for his aircraft and his sleigh would be ripped into pieces.

It's a magic sleigh made from children's dreams.

minidazzler

jumpguy wrote: »

Surely not, if Santa travels that fast he'll exceed the maximum velocity allowed for his aircraft and his sleigh would be ripped into pieces.

It's a Magic sleigh!! DUH!!!

However he can't fly faster than the airspeed regulations as laid down by the FAA for his particular aircraft.

I don't know the airspeed, but it's likely less than light speed.

jumpguy

minidazzler wrote: »

It's a Magic sleigh!! DUH!!!

However he can't fly faster than the airspeed regulations as laid down by the FAA for his particular aircraft.

I don't know the airspeed, but it's likely less than light speed.

Really...hmm...I guess basic physics doesn't apply to ole Santa then. :eek:

Johnny Giles

jumpguy wrote: »

Really...hmm...I guess basic physics doesn't apply to ole Santa then. :eek:

He ain't real buster.

jumpguy

Johnny Giles wrote: »

He ain't real buster.

Christ Johnny you completely fail when it comes to Christmas cheer anyway.

Run_to_da_hills

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

They want you to think its harmless fun... but its not. Think of the kind of resources they have to put in place to handle 75,000 calls on one night. The reasons are ultimately more sinister.

And if you think that is bad, Doomsday climate globalists are continually using animated cartoons to brainwash kids into satisfying their corrupt fascist agendas.

Just some examples of cartoons that are currently being sponsored and pushed at kids which promotes, among other thing, the possible “cancellation of Christmas” because of Global warming.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLibertyGuardian#p/a/u/0/q_vPZXbttdk
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLibertyGuardian#p/a/u/1/7I-AhVkXlb4
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLibertyGuardian#p/a/u/2/2ascNokQFwQ

Agent Smith

He was giving out sweets at 8am this morning in a large PC company in leixlip

minidazzler

jumpguy wrote: »

Really...hmm...I guess basic physics doesn't apply to ole Santa then. :eek:

Physics is made up, it's all about belief my friend! It's all about belief!

Johnny Giles

jumpguy wrote: »

Christ Johnny you completely fail when it comes to Christmas cheer anyway.

But this is After Hours. Besides I'm always described as a grumpy bastard.

robby^5

Well what happens if he gets shot down over Baghdad again? He only has so many air-to-air candy canes.

Johnny Giles

robby^5 wrote: »

Well what happens if he gets shot down over Baghdad again? He only has so many air-to-air candy canes.

Thry'll think Sadam is back.

jumpguy

robby^5 wrote: »

Well what happens if he gets shot down over Baghdad again? He only has so many air-to-air candy canes.

I heard his equiped with flares and Rudolph is only there, not to guide Santa on a foggy night, but if a missile is coming towards Santa, he can release Rudolph and sacrifice him to the deathly missiles as Rudolph's infrared signature would easily confuse missile's tracking.

o1s1n

Johnny Giles wrote: »

It's only for the kids. The military aren't really tracking "himself".

With brains like that you should be working for NORAD yourself.

Johnny Giles

o1s1n wrote: »

With brains like that you should be working for NORAD yourself.

I'd rather stick to analysing football. Thanks. :pac:

Professey Chin

o1s1n wrote: »

With brains like that you should be working for NORAD yourself.

No way man.Thats way too real for me to handle!:eek:

TheZohanS

Johnny Giles wrote: »

But this is After Hours. Besides I'm always described as a grumpy bastard.

Nah, you're normally described as a banned grumpy ba$tard. So turn that frown upside down....or else.

Johnny Giles

Grand. Kids these days eh?

They should be out silking their skills instead of staring at computers. We need to get producing the breed for the future.

Merry Xmas People.

smodgley

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

It is entirely inappriopriate for NORAD to be participating in this. Its just propaganda to get children familiar with the military and influence their thinking in later life. It sickens me, typical brainwashing USA

ahhh the cheerfulness of the Christmas season:pac::p

Johnny Giles

smodgley wrote: »

ahhh the cheerfulness of the Christmas season:pac::p

True though - for all it's worth. :pac:

oppenheimer1

smodgley wrote: »

ahhh the cheerfulness of the Christmas season:pac::p

Why do you think they do it? A call centre, even manned by volunteers will cost a lot of money to run, especially one that handles 75,000 calls in the space of 36 hours. It is only a PR exercise designed to promote awareness of what NORAD do, and fair play to them their stunt is a familiar feature on this board every christmas... and I'm sure many other boards/mass media in general as well. Norad Santa throws up 330,000 results on google.

PR stunt, aimed at innocent children... pretty low if you ask me.

Johnny Giles

Every Radio station is referring to them all day. It's a bloody joke.

Thrill

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

He's in Russia right now. I cant wait till he arrives and I get my yearly gift of a couple of pairs of sock's.

Woooot.

granturismo

Helix wrote: »

santa travels too fast to be tracked - faster than the speed of light within the earths atmosphere

i fear the military are fibbing

They can track Rudolph's nose, duh. It says so on the website.

toiletduck

I'm more worried about them flying snowmen, emm as seen in The Snowman. Myself and Dad are manning the triple A out front.

Diabhal Beag

This question is for Run_to_da_hills

Do the Illuminati have anything to do with NORAD? I have my suspicions

citizen_p

hes not real so these orginisations shouldnt be attached to it.

Johnny Giles

Mousey- wrote: »

hes not real so these orginisations shouldnt be attached to it.

Yes. It's all a big advert for them. Don't know how many times I have heard Marty Miller mention it on Today FM.

Christ.

AnonoBoy

I'm pretty sure that some people on this thread need to lighten up just a teensy bit.

Iron Hide

USA will be at Defcon 1 anyway when the red fellow is doing the rounds over Washington DC

Manic Moran

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies,
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes. Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds,
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.

Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube,
Was triply-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube,
And ELINT and AWACS gave coverage so dense
That nothing that flew could slip through our defence.

When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter
I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter;
I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash,
Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash.

And there found the source of the warning we’d heeded:
An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded.
“Alert status red!” went the word down the wire,
As we gave every system the codes that meant “FIRE!”

On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk!
And scramble our fighters--let’s send the whole flock!
Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard!
Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard!

They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged.
Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged,
And the sky was lit up with a demonic light,
As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night.

So we sent out some recon to look for debris,
Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea
Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot,
Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer’s parachute.

Now it isn’t quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down.
There are unhappy kids in each village and town.
For the Spirit of Christmas can’t hope to evade
All the web of defenses we’ve carefully made.

But a crash program’s on: Working hard, night and day,
All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh.
So let’s wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health,
For the future has hope: Santa’s coming by stealth!

Manic Moran

It is entirely inappriopriate for NORAD to be participating in this. Its just propaganda to get children familiar with the military and influence their thinking in later life. It sickens me, typical brainwashing USA

Oh, for crying out loud, have some sense of perspective. It's good, harmless fun.

Next you'll be complaining that the Defence Forces shouldn't have done an air insertion to deliver the ball for the Munster/New Zealand rugby match because it militarises the Irish population.

NTM

Piste

Manic Moran wrote: »

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies,
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes. Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds,
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.

Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube,
Was triply-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube,
And ELINT and AWACS gave coverage so dense
That nothing that flew could slip through our defence.

When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter
I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter;
I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash,
Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash.

And there found the source of the warning we’d heeded:
An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded.
“Alert status red!” went the word down the wire,
As we gave every system the codes that meant “FIRE!”

On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk!
And scramble our fighters--let’s send the whole flock!
Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard!
Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard!

They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged.
Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged,
And the sky was lit up with a demonic light,
As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night.

So we sent out some recon to look for debris,
Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea
Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot,
Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer’s parachute.

Now it isn’t quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down.
There are unhappy kids in each village and town.
For the Spirit of Christmas can’t hope to evade
All the web of defenses we’ve carefully made.

But a crash program’s on: Working hard, night and day,
All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh.
So let’s wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health,
For the future has hope: Santa’s coming by stealth!

Even though I didn't understand half of that, I thanked your lovely poem for such religious adherence to the correct meter, well done!

jumpguy

Manic Moran wrote: »

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies,
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes. Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds,
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.

Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube,
Was triply-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube,
And ELINT and AWACS gave coverage so dense
That nothing that flew could slip through our defence.

When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter
I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter;
I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash,
Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash.

And there found the source of the warning we’d heeded:
An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded.
“Alert status red!” went the word down the wire,
As we gave every system the codes that meant “FIRE!”

On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk!
And scramble our fighters--let’s send the whole flock!
Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard!
Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard!

They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged.
Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged,
And the sky was lit up with a demonic light,
As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night.

So we sent out some recon to look for debris,
Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea
Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot,
Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer’s parachute.

Now it isn’t quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down.
There are unhappy kids in each village and town.
For the Spirit of Christmas can’t hope to evade
All the web of defenses we’ve carefully made.

But a crash program’s on: Working hard, night and day,
All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh.
So let’s wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health,
For the future has hope: Santa’s coming by stealth!

How has this gone so unnoticed?

opinion guy

Manic Moran wrote: »

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies,
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes. Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds,
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.

Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube,
Was triply-redundant, linked to the Blue Cube,
And ELINT and AWACS gave coverage so dense
That nothing that flew could slip through our defence.

When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter
I dashed to the screen to see what was the matter;
I increased the gain and then, quick as a flash,
Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash.

And there found the source of the warning we’d heeded:
An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded.
“Alert status red!” went the word down the wire,
As we gave every system the codes that meant “FIRE!”

On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk!
And scramble our fighters--let’s send the whole flock!
Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard!
Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard!

They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged.
Till the tracks on the radar all finally merged,
And the sky was lit up with a demonic light,
As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night.

So we sent out some recon to look for debris,
Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea
Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot,
Broken sleigh bells, white hair, and a deer’s parachute.

Now it isn’t quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down.
There are unhappy kids in each village and town.
For the Spirit of Christmas can’t hope to evade
All the web of defenses we’ve carefully made.

But a crash program’s on: Working hard, night and day,
All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh.
So let’s wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health,
For the future has hope: Santa’s coming by stealth!

I'm sure its good, but, tl;dr

Manic Moran wrote: »

Oh, for crying out loud, have some sense of perspective. It's good, harmless fun.

No I competely agree with oppenheimer1. Its obscene for a military organisation to participate in propagating a cultural lie in the name of cheap PR. Its not good harmless fun by any stretch of the imagination. The only true 'evil' in this world is ignorance, and this stunt propagates ignorance on several fronts

Manic Moran

No I competely agree with oppenheimer1. Its obscene for a military organisation to participate in propagating a cultural lie in the name of cheap PR. Its not good harmless fun by any stretch of the imagination. The only true 'evil' in this world is ignorance, and this stunt propagates ignorance on several front

I hate to break it to you, but you do realise that our dearly beloved Santa is a cultural lie propogated by Coca Cola's marketing department, which has since been gleefully appropriated by other commericial enterprises in order to part us from our money?

I similarly recall listening on RTE Radio to the 'on-site-report' of Santa's departure when I was a kid. Is this also an abuse of taxpayer's money in a fraudulent report created by a supposedly reputable news-casting organisation?

There's supposedly a 'spirit of Christmas.' I suggest you try it.

NTM