Vintage Christmas Cards

In 1843 John Horsley was commissioned to create a Christmas card for Sir Henry Cole (the first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum) because he did not have the time to write all of his friends as he had done in previous years.

The cards were created on lithographs and hand-colored. The first card was supposed to have depicted poor people being fed and clothed but instead Horsley created a family party in progress showing a child sipping wine. The original intent was to remind Sir Henry’s friends of the great needs for the persons in poverty during this season. Instead it caused an uproar for “fostering the moral corruption of children”.

It is said that Sir Henry did not send out any cards following that year but Christmas cards were already on their way. The first year 1000 cards went on sale in London for one shilling each.

This was the birth of the Christmas card. The cards have changed greatly over the years. Looking back at these cards you could see the fads and styles of the area they were created.

I put some vintage cards on my blog. I hope you enjoy!

Rudolph The Red Nosed Freak (repost from 12-07)

(take this all in fun)
Tonight I watched "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer", what some people consider a classic Christmas cartoon. I'm here to let the truth be known about this "holiday classic"

This cartoon has so many hidden messages of hate and prejudices . It's a story about a small reindeer (Rudolph) that's born into the world with what some other reindeers and SANTA would call a deformity. A shinny nose that glows a bright red hue.

Rudy's parents are horrified when they realize their son is "different" and they try to hide his glowing beak from the world by making him wear this ridiculous looking black casing over it. Now Rudy fits well into society and is popular and excels in sports such as flying and other events in the Reindeer Games.

Things go terribly wrong for Rudolph the second his light bulb like nose is exposed to the world. His "friends" look at him in horror, staring at the red nose pulsating in front of them. Then Santa walks up to Rudolph's parents and says, and I quote, " Donnor (Rudy's dad), you should be ashamed of yourself!" What kind of man is this Santa??? Telling a parent he should be ashamed of himself because his son was born deformed! Who's he to talk, after all the man is a walking heart attack with that huge gut and don't even get me going about sneaking into children's rooms at night while everyone is asleep... the sicko.

Any how, we then have this little elf named Herbie. The guy hates working in this sweat shop like factory making toys. I'm sure the money sucks, if they get paid at all. The guy dreams of becoming a dentist and for that he's ridiculed by the forman and ends up running away because in the North Pole it's obvious it's a communist state and you're not allowed to follow a dream.

While running from the horrors of Santa's workshop Herbie meets Rudolph who has ben shunned from society and is now on his own in the freezing cold. The pair end up on an island. This is the worst part of the entire story. It's an island where civilians are sent that don't fit into the "normal world" to live out their lives in isolation. Kind of a leper colony of sorts. On this " Misfit Island" the duo meet toys that were banished after they didn't meet the evil Santa's standards. This menacing bunch would wait day and night for someone to come rescue them from the hellish prison and dreamed of a world where they would be a welcomed without prejudice.

We quickly learn that on Christmas Eve night the world is covered with some eerie fog and Santa realizes that his super race of reindeers are pretty much useless because they can't find their way through this heavy cloud cover. This is the point where Santa shows his true colors and hits an all time low. He decides to use his physically deformed freak reindeer Rudolph because his glowing nose would light the way. Because Santa needs Rudy, because he has no where else to turn, he allows Rudolph to live among the "normals". WHAT A LOW LIFE USER!" If I was that reindeer I would fly Santa's fat butt smack into an iceberg and let him sink like the Titanic.

The message of this story is if you don't fit into society. If you're different in any way it's o.k. to be ridiculed and shunned until you're needed to save everyone's butts.

Santa Around The World

As Santa flies around the world delivering his toys to children this Christmas Eve, he might run into some competition. As most of us in America think that we all know what Santa Clause looks like, we might get some argument from other children from around the world.

The Dutch version of Santa is named Sintirklass. He arrives by boat on December 6 and children leave wooden shoes filled with hay and carrots for his donkey which carries his toys.

In Italy there is La Befana who is a good witch that dresses in black. Children leave their shoes by the fireplace on December 6. Befana comes down the chimney on her broomstick and leaves toys for children.

In Germany, while families are at church on Christmas Eve the Christkind or Christ Child brings presents to their homes.

In Spain children wait until January 6 for their presents. The Three Kings or Wise Men bring gifts. Children put their shoes at the front door to receive their gifts.

In Sweden a gnome called Juletomten bring gifts in a sleigh driven by goats.

In Switzerland the Christkindl brings the gifts. Sometimes the Christkindl appears as an angel.

In England, Father Christmas is a stern version of our Santa.

In France, Pere Noel brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

In Australia, Santa rides water skis, has a white beard and a red bathing suit.

So this Christmas, be sure to leave cookies for the Santa, hay for the donkeys, your shoes near the door and fireplace and if in Australia make sure you live near the water!

Black Friday becomes Death Friday

It's the one day of the year that will turn a timid housewife into a vicious animal or a mild manner senior into a cane wielding maniac. It's Black Friday and this year it once again lives up to it's name.

The name Black Friday actually started a few years ago because of the fact that stores would make most of their yearly profits on this one day. It started out as a way the stores would kick off the Christmas season, offering sales. But in the past few years, some of these stores would offer the sales price for only a few short hours and have only a few of the products on sale actually in stock, creating havoc and in some cases, riot conditions and bring out the dark side to people.

From sleeping out in front of stores all night to save a few dollars on a TV to waiting in lines for hours for five dollars off a Easy Bake Oven, shoppers all over the country showed their true animal instincts as they sat on boxes which contained a computer on sale to claim them as their own because of lack of supply. There was people throwing punches because they were "cut in line" by someone, just like the lunch line when you were in 7th grade.

This year, stories of fights between customers that went from simple arguments to right out fist fights to a Wal-Mart employee being crushed to death by shoppers trying to get into the store in NY. Even as someone was giving the dying man C.P.R. people were literally walking over the man. And when they announced the store was closing because someone was killed, shoppers complained and refused to leave the store.

The most ironic part of this behavior is that these people are there for a Christmas sale. Christmas, a season based on religion and a time for caring for your fellow man and yet these animals would disregard the fact that a human being was killed by them and fellow shoppers and complain on top of it.

I personally think that along with the people that killed this poor man, Wal-Mart should be held accountable in his death for creating a riot situation.

I hope that the first image these people see on their new flat screen Wal-Mart TV's is the video tape of them trampling this poor man to death. I hope it was all worth it.

MACY'S Thanksgiving Floats

To get you in gear for this year's NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade I've posted a few floats from the past couple years. Hope you enjoy!

Thanksgiving Humor with Maxine

Thanksgiving Jokes

While you're amazing the Thanksgiving dinner guest with the amazing Thanksgiving facts from my last post I'm giving you the opportunity to throw in some Turkey Day humor, which I listed below. Remember people, in comedy it's all about timing!

What did the mother turkey say to her disobedient child?
If your father could see you now he would turn over in his gravy!

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims!

Should you have the whole famile for Thanksgiving dinner?
No, you should just have the turkey!

What sound does a turkey's phone make?
wing, wing.

When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
In the dictionary.

If the Pilgrims were alive today what would they be most famous for?
Their AGE!

What kind of music did the Pilgrims listen to?
Plymouth Rock!

How much did the Mayflower weigh?
A Puri-TON!

What's a turkey's favorite song?
"I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas".

Why can't you take a turkey to church?
Because it always uses FOWL language!

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes, a building can't jump at all.

Why was Plymouth Rock so brave?
Because it was a little boulder!

What are unhappy cranberries called?
Blueberries!

Why didn't the turkey eat dessert?
It was stuffed.

Which side of a turkey has the most feathers?
The outside.

Why did they let the turkey join the band?
Because it had the drumsticks.

Why did the police arrest the turkey?
Because they suspected it of fowl play.

What's the key to a great Thanksgiving dinner?
A tur-KEY.

What is a turkey's favorite black tie-celebration?
The butterball.

Thanksgiving Day Trivia Test

Here's a little Turkey day trivia test for you. Grab a pencil and some paper and go for it.

1. What Department Store was the first to sponsor a major Thanksgiving Day Parade? a.)Walmart, b.)Macy's, c.)Gimble's, d.)Bloomingdale's

2. What was the name of the American Indian tribe that joined the Pilgrams for the first Thanksgiving Feast? a.)Wampanoag Tribe, b.)Mohegan Tribe, c.)Tonto Tribe, d.) Idontknowa Tribe.

3. The word "Turkey" can be sourced to the Hebrew word "Turkki", which means..: a.)big bird, b.)feathered pig, c.)butterball, d.)dumb chicken.

4. How many Pilgrim women survived the first year after settling the Plymouth Colony? a.) none, b.) five, c.)twenty-four, d.) all the women survived

5. What President Of The United States started the tradition of pardoning a turkey on Thanksgiving? a.)Roosevelt, b.)Lincoln, c.)Truman, d.)Carter

6.) Which one of these foods was NOT served at the first Thanksgiving? a)cod fish, b.)turkey, c.)pumpkin pie, d.)grapes, e.)lobster, f.)duck, g.)corn, h.)peas.

The answers at in the "comment" section. Just hit the "comment" tab at the bottom of this posting. Drop me a line there and tell me how you did!

Same Sex marriage Legal In Connecticut Starting Today!

Just a week after the people of the state of California voted to revoke the rights of same sex couples to marry, the state of Connecticut made it legal for gays to marry. Connecticut is now the second state in the so called "land of the free" to allow same sex couples the right to marry.

Here's to you Connecticut for following our great Constitution and shouting loud and clean that all men (and women), straight or gay, are created equal!

Gay Equality : Drive It Forward

The initial shock and sadness of the vote to ban gay marriage in California has pretty much settled in me like a damn cold on a rainy winter's morning.

What I do realize looking back at the history of the battle for civil rights in this country is this:
We will experience bumps and potholes on this road we travel. But as long as we keep going forward we will reach our destination!
We could never stop going forward. We have hope, pride, spirit and unlike them, a God who loves all he created.

Stand together people!!!

California Bans Same Sex Marriage. A Sad Day For Equality

He was a symbol of hope to me. I saw him as a man I could trust if I had a choice to put someone in the White House.
I saw him as a man who was a leader. I also saw him as a man who would and could defy the odds.
He was a man who had the blood of white and black people flowing through his veins. He was a Christian and yet had Muslim ties.
He was his own mixing pot. This was something this country was born and made of.

There were so many who said that he could never be elected because of the color of his skin and his religious background.
There were so many that hated him because they saw him as different.
There were so many that feared him because they couldn't or wouldn't allow themselves to relate to who he.
I had hopes that he could overcome this.... and he did.

On November 4, 2008, the people of The United States Of America elected Barack Obama the first African-American President.

I found it so ironic that on the night that the people of this country overlooked their fears and prejudices toward a race that they for so long suppressed, that they would come together and take away the rights of a group of people because of their sexual orientation.

On November 4, 2008, the people of the state of California took away the right for same sex couples to marry.

In the shining moment that showed this country has stepped beyond the bigotry and hate it was known for towards it's black citizens it decided to turn it's ignorant eye on it's gay citizens.

Love is love, straight or gay, someone once said. The love of two same sex people is as strong and equal as any other love in the world.
Love is from within ones own self. With this being said, I ask, how could someone from outside of this bond of love be able to decide if these two people could be married or not?

"It's against God's word" is one argument but what if MY God doesn't see it that way? Is this not the United States Of America? Is this not the "Land Of The Free"? Do I not have the right to believe in what I choose?
This marriage between two people has nothing to do with any other party, no matter how hard they try to justify it.

What needs to be ask is for the people who look upon gay marriage as wrong to take an honest and deep look within themselves. They need to ask themselves and answer truthfully why they think they have the right to decide if two people of any sex could marry or not. When do they have the right to be the "third" person in a marriage?

I ask why should one's beliefs be forced upon others when they have their own beliefs.

What I see is fear, hate and ignorance hidden behind the purity and innocence of religion. This fact allow is far more fearful then the fact of two same sex couples being united in marriage because of love.

You could be a devote Christian. You could come from the perfect family. You could work in the corporate world. You could love your husband or your wife, brother or sister. You could cherish the most adorable children and smother them with all your love but the fact remains that with in all these "perfect" scenarios, we are among you.
We worship at your church. We are in your perfect families. We work beside you. We are your brothers and sisters and sometimes your husbands and wives. We are all someone children.
When you open your eyes and see us among you I only hope then you see and feel true love and understanding and hopefully someday you'll realize, when someone you care about and love happens to be gay, why being equal is so important.

President Obama!

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA!

VOTE!

Halloween 2008

Well another Halloween has come and gone. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Here's a few pictures from Halloween from work and in our neighborhood.