Home For The Holidays

A neighborhood feud in Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire, England shows no signs of easing after Vic Moszczynski was acquitted of damaging his neighbors' properties.

After 18 years enduring Moszczynski's over-the-top Christmas light displays, his neighbors were successful in restricting his decorating. Moszczynski was served with an injunction last year.

(click to enlarge)

His display could include no more than "four 7ft tall inflatable cartoon characters, eight 30-ft strips of rope lighting and two light moulds in the ground in his front garden", in addition to his lights. It was alleged that Moszczynski caused a total of £600 damage to 3 homes on the street in retaliation.
The Prosecutor's only evidence against Moszczynski was security videotape provided by one of the victims, Gordon Jones.
Ruth Paley, lawyer for Moszczynski, said "it was impossible to tell the ethnicity, height, build and age of the man in the video."

District Judge Terry English agreed.

Hope those are LED lights, Vic.

Tags: [Vic Moszczynski]  [Gordon Jones]  [Berkshire, England]
[Ruth Paley]  [Terry English]
[Christmas Vacation]  [Chevy Chase]  [Clark Griswold]

Colbert's Man of the Year Challenge Undone

Comedian and late-night host Stephen Colbert was proclaimed the Favorite Son of South Carolina on Sunday. At a ceremony at University of S. Carolina, Columbia Mayor Bob Coble presented Colbert with a key to the city and a framed proclamation as South Carolina's Favorite Son. Coble then declared October 28th Stephen Colbert Day.

The executive council of South Carolina's Democratic Party met November 1^st to review all potential candidates. In order to be included on the ballot, each candidate must have national viability and demonstrate that he/she has been campaigning in the state.

Last night on his show, Colbert took a call from Carol Khare Fowler, chair of the state Democratic Party. She informed Colbert that he had not been successful in his quest for the presidency.

Originally, Colbert was going to run as both a Democrat and a Republican candidate, but the $35,000 filing fee required by the Republican party was too steep a price for his campaign. Colbert's campaign was sponsored by Doritos, the first time in history that a presidential candidate's campaign was funded by corporate sponsorship.

Colbert appealed to viewers to help him win by donating to a school in South Carolina at donorschoose.org. Over $40,000 has been raised so far.


Tags: [Stephen Colbert] [South Carolina]
[2008 Presidential Candidates] [Doritos]
[Donors Choose] [Schools in South Carolina]

Happy Birthday to the World

Anglican Bishop James Ussher, "the author of the book frequently described as the greatest history book ever written", concluded the world was created Oct. 23, 4004 B.C. – making it exactly 6,010 years-old this week.

In the 1650's, Ussher wrote Annals of the World. "It's the history of the world from the Garden of Eden to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70." The book integrates biblical history with secular chronicles. MasterBooks commissioned the updating of the material from the 18^th century to present-day; and the translation from its original ancient Latin to English.

The basis for Ussher's date is that ancient civilizations began the calendar year at the harvest. He uses the first Sunday following autumnal equinox to start the year. Because the calendar has been manipulated over time, we now mark the autumnal equinox on September 21.

World, I'm sorry these birthday wishes come late. I suggest we mark your 6010^th birthday the same as all the other years - we'll burn fossil fuels creating pollution that warms the earth and contributes to climate variability.

See your candles in this picture of the earth at night? Remember to make a wish before you blow them out.

Tags: [James Ussher]  [Annals of the World]
[MasterBooks]  [World's Birthday]  [Julian & Gregorian Calendars]
[Global Warming]  [Climate Change]

Fill Your Black Jack With Grog

September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

It started as a joke between friends John "Ol Chumbucket" Baur and Mark "Capn Slappy" Summers. The tradition gained notoriety after scallywag columnist Dave Barry heard about the tradition.

TLAPD boasts its own anthem. Tom Smith wrote and recorded
"Talk Like a Pirate Day"
(plays in Windows Media Player)

Need help finding your Pirat-titude? View the instructional video produced by Loading Ready Run.

And be havin' a good tide!

Tags:[Talk Like a Pirate Day]
[Dave Barry] [John Baur] [Mark Summers]
[Tom Smith] [Loading Ready Run Comedy]

Venus

Since the 1970's, the first Sunday in September has been set aside in Piobbico, Italy for the annual Festival of the Ugly. At each festival, club members elect a new president. For 30 years Telesforo Iacobelli has accepted the honor.


Signor Iacobelli heads the Club dei Brutti in Italy. The club has links that go back to 1879. It is now known as The World Association of Ugly People, and at the 2007 Festa on September 9, 2007, Iacobelli will unveil a monument to ugly people.
The prototype picture is shown at right.


The motto of Club de Brutti is 'a person is what he is and not what he looks like.'

Iacobelli describes the monument as a tribute to the one who is beautiful on the inside.

Fact: Brigitte Nielsen is a member of The Club

Goddess on the mountain top burning like a silver flame The summit of beauty and love and Venus was her name CHORUS: She's got it. Yeah, baby, she's got it I'm your Venus I'm your fire At your desire (Stock, Aitken & Waterman) Performed by Bananarama

Tags: [World Association of Ugly People] [Piobbico] [Telesforo Iacobelli]
[Bananarama] [Brigitte Nielsen]

What The Flak?

It's August. Bittersweet.
Summers' door is closing behind us. In just weeks, a new school year will begin.

Families begin the march to the malls; the tradition of back-to-school shopping must be maintained. Bags containing new shoes, stylish sportswear or pristine uniforms are proudly toted. The bags with the pencils, pens, protractors and paper are dragged. Something about this bag elicits whining and requires a slower pace.

Kids want the Five Star Sound binder, so they can connect their mp3 players in class. Parents consider the item's practicality, novelty, style and value in the purchase process.

Boston parents Mike Pelonzi and Joe Curran want their backpack, My Child's Pack, to be among your back-to-school necessities.

The backpacks, which will cost $175, have a super-lightweight bullet-proof plate sewn into the back which weighs no more than a bottle of water. Pelonzi said the material used is a secret.

That's right. A bullet-proof backpack. According to Pelonzi, "during a three-year testing phase, [the backpacks] stood up to bullets as well as machete, hatchet and Ka-bar knife attacks."

Kevlar for kindergartners. Flak jackets for freshmen.

Tags: [Bulletproof Backpacks] [Mike Pelonzi] [Joe Curran]
[Back-to-School Shopping] [Flak Jackets] [Bulletproof]

Hit Parade

Stratford, the Festival City, wrapped up its day-time events celebrating Canada's 140^th birthday with the annual parade, organized by the local Kinsmen Club.

The parade wound through Stratford's downtown, from Wellington to Downie, across Ontario to Huron. More than 40 groups participated in the parade that was led by the Veteran's Association and finished with the giant birthday cake float.

Three rows deep along the 2 km route, spectators waved and applauded as the more than 40 entries marched by. At the curb, in pint-size chairs and on blankets were young children. Parents, older children and youths made up the second row, on the boulevards and sidewalks. Other families and many seniors set up in front of the businesses and on the grassy knolls.

Way to go Stratford! There is so much support from all generations. It became clear that residents had "their spots" staked out from prior years. I wonder if, in twenty years, that spot in front of the church will still be Nicole's and Rachel's.

Thumbs up to Stratford, population 30,000 - Well planned and well-attended city-wide celebrations wrapped up with fireworks display at the rec. center.

Aurora, population 47,000, cancelled its Canada Day parade due to lack of support.

Some of the groups who participated in the parade:

Stratford Concert Band	Perth Pipe Band
Bethel Church	Stratford Builders' Association	Playmakers Theatre School
Perth Regiment Re-Enactment Unit	Orr Insurance (that's their truck, above)	Stratford Lions Club
Mocha Trumpet Band (London/Woodstock) and the RoadRunners	Dukes of Hazzard chased by Enos	Jubilee Christian Fellowship Band
Saddle Up Stables	Wellington-Waterloo Hunt & Riding Club	DaMax Kennels (thank you for the loot bag for Buddy)
Stratford Motor Products	Gary Stockie Chev-Olds

Red & White Sale on Now at

The Pro Shop

Tags: [Stratford] [Canada Day] [Aurora Cancels Parade]
[Stratford Country Club]

¡Viva!

Cinco de Mayo is widely thought to be the Independence Day of Mexico. Mexico's official Independence Day is in September. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the day of Mexico's Great Battle at Puebla.

Napoleon III's French troops occupied Mexico for five months in 1862. On May 5 the Mexican military overcame the French soldiers at Puebla. In defeating the French Foreign Legion, supplies to the Confederate Rebels in the U.S. Civil War were cut off. The U.S. rebuilt their own forces and beat the Rebels at Gettysburg the following year.

The French recaptured Puebla on May 8^th but were finally expelled from Mexico in 1867.

Así que qué, you ask?

A while ago, my brother and I were talking about Cinco de Mayo. Our sister, who was with us, said, with much disbelief, "Like you guys know when Mexico's National holiday is."
"It's the fifth of May," we replied together.
Joe turned to his son David, 4, and asked, "David, do you know when Cinco de Mayo is?"
"Yep," David answered. Maybe he did know, but he was preoccupied with removing the pepperoni from his pizza slice.

She wouldn't believe that we knew the celebration takes place annually on May 5^th.

We explained that Cinco de Mayo translates literally to May 5.

In her most scholarly voice, our sibling declared, "Well, the national holiday of Norway is November 3^rd."

"No it's not." Joe and I laughed. In fact, it's May 17^th.

So - ¡Viva Cinco de Mayo!
Today, celebrate a battle you've won.

[Cinco de Mayo] [Napoleon III] [Norway]

The Tradition of the Nativity Scene

When I was growing up, our family had a nativity scene that was arranged atop the piano in the living room. It was a traditional scene and my Mom had painted each ceramic figure. In the first year, it was Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the manger and the Wise Men. Each year after that, she painted additional pieces to include. Every December 25th, at 12:00 a.m., we'd sing Happy Birthday and place baby Jesus in the manger.

I don't know where that nativity is now. Come to think of it, I haven't seen that manger set in several years. Yesterday, at my parents' home, I saw there was a different nativity arrangement on the table behind the couch. Except for Kashmir's interest in the new set, I might not have noticed it back there.

My parents have an acre of property that they decorate for the season. The latest in outdoor decorations is the over-sized inflatable adornment. That got me to thinking...

I found these items for sale, and thought, they'd be perfect in the orchard.
A 9 ft. inflatable scene

And to finish it off right,

add the 6' tall Wise Men...

Each has its own "self-contained illumination system" and is described as being "a highly visible lawn decoration." Both unfortunately, now sold out for the season.

Think you'd find these for sale at some blasphemous website, right? Wrong. Try CatholicSupply.com

More on [Inflatable Lawn Decorations]

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