Because no one has an exact address for Santa Claus children send their letters to several addresses, including the North Pole. But for the past 80 years many children from around the world have sent their wish lists to Santa Claus, In. , where area residents open, read and respond to each letter. The town only sends out about 15,000 letters from Santa a year now, down from a high of 3 million in the 1930's. That is because other places now offer a similar service.

A German painter has taken to decorating coffins with flowers and other symbols of nature on the belief that plain coffins failed to address the emotional needs of society. He stumbled on the idea while working for a funeral home. Alfred Opiolka, 46, says that dealing with death is much more bearable for the bereaved when you remember the beauty of life in a person's final resting place.

The Republican incumbent governor Mark Sanford learned a lesson Tuesday morning: you need the right identification to vote in South Carolina - even if you are the governor. Sanford had to make a second trip to Sullivans Island polling area before he could cast a ballot Tuesday morning. After being sidelined by the last-minute eye injury on Monday, the last day of campaigning, the Republican on Tuesday forgot his voter ID card and poll workers turned him away when he showed a driver's license with a Columbia address.

Hell. com went up for bid on Friday, but no one was buying. The owner of the web address set a minimum bidding price at $1 million, leaving many wondering just how much heaven could bring. The Friday auction, run by domain provider Moniker. com, set for bid hundreds of catchy and useful domains.

Tiny Green Mountain College in Vermont is going greener with plans to use cow manure to generate power. Officials at the 750-student liberal arts collge in Poultney, Vermont said the plan will cut its greenhouse gas emissions.