September 27, 2010
A Millionaires Birthday….
A millionaire has enraged villagers by throwing a raucous birthday party at his country estate with low-flying aircraft and mock battles.
Neighbours of Charles Burnett III were left distressed as he celebrated his 51st birthday with an extravagant military-themed party involving explosions and gunfire.
Mr Burnett, an American international businessman who often drives a tank around the grounds of his Georgian house, infuriated residents with the all-day war games display.
Events included two acrobatic air displays by a two-seater Harvard fighter which swooped over his home as mock bombs exploded on the ground.
The centre piece of the displays were some of Mr Burnett’s collection of amphibious vehicles and tanks, including a British Chieftain tank, a self-propelled Abbot armoured fighting vehicle, Army jeeps, and a First World War Stanley steam car.
The 100 or so guests wore war themed costumes and, after a champagne reception and buffet, danced to an orchestra performing Vera Lynn classics and military music.
But people living near the estate at Newtown Park in Portmore, Hants, complained that their picturesque village was turned into a battle zone.
Pamela Watson, 75, said the event brought back disturbing memories of her childhood during World War Two. “It was like the Blitz. The planes were swooping in so low and I was very frightened because they were incredibly noisy,” Miss Watson said.
“Loud explosions shook the windows in my kitchen. I had to stay indoors. I suppose they thought they were having a jolly good time but for us it was a nightmare.”
Althea Ayre, a widow in her 80s, said Mr Burnett’s party offended many war veterans in the area. “There were lots of people going about in camouflage and tanks – it was very frightening. I lived through the Second World War and I have painful memories.”
Harriet Draycott, 30, a mother of two, said: “It was a very nasty shock for the many elderly people who live in the area. One lady was very upset because she had a friend who was shot and killed on the ground by an enemy fighter.”
Rob Gray, the estate manager, dismissed the complaints and said the event raised £27,000 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. He said: “It was certainly very loud. But we’ve had more congratulations than we have complaints. The main thing was that we celebrated my employer’s birthday. Yes, we’re going to upset some people but we’ve done more good than harm.
“Some people who complained, claimed that it brought back bad memories of the war and I can sympathise with them to a certain extent. But my boss’s mother lived through the Blitz and she didn’t find it distressing.”
“We approached the police, coastguard, fire service, the hospital and the Civil Aviation Authority beforehand, we had a risk assessment, and everything went swimmingly.” New Forest district council said it had received two complaints and would investigate.
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21,000 Birthday Cards!
A 14-year-old British girl could end up celebrating her birthday with thousands after 21,000 people RSVPed for her party on Facebook. Just imagine – 21,000 eCard Birthday Cards!
Rebecca Javeleau will turn 15 on Oct. 7, and police in Harpenden, England have said they will have patrols on the street to ensure unwanted guests don’t make it to the teen’s party.
Javeleau posted her birthday party as an event on Facebook, but didn’t restrict who could attend, the Daily Mail newspaper reported. Within a few hours, the guest list was out of control and some people had even signed up fake celebrity accounts that said Justin Bieber, Stephen Hawking, Susan Boyle and Rick Astley would be attending.
The teen’s mom, Rebecca Livesay has cancelled the party and the event has been removed from Facebook. However several fake events and groups have been posted, distributing the girl’s address and date of the party.
One page with just the girl’s name says, “Her party will go down in history.”
Another group, described as a “takeover,” encourages members to “invite all your friends.”
Livesey told the Daily Mail she isn’t happy with her daughter.
“She will be lucky to get an eCard Birthday Card from me after this.”
You would not want this outside your house!
If you want to send your friends an amazing eCard Birthday surprise, visit www.eCards.co.uk.
September 17, 2010
Happy 256th Birthday!!
According to the 1933 obituaries in both Time Magazine and the New York Times, Li Ching-Yun was reported to have buried 23 wives and fostered 180 descendants by the time he died at the age of 256.
Was he really that old? Could he have forgotten his own birthday or exaggerated his claim?
The Secrets to an Interminable Life
“Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog.” These were the words of advice Li gave to Wu Pei-fu, the warlord, who took Li into his house to learn the secret of extremely long life.
Li maintained that inward calm and peace of mind were the secrets to incredible longevity. His diet after all, was mainly based on rice and wine.
From 0 to 256
Unsurprisingly, not much is known about Li Ching-Yun’s early life. We know he was born in the province of Szechwan in China, where he also died. We also know that by his tenth birthday, Ching-Yun was literate and had travelled to Kansu, Shansi, Tibet, Annam, Siam and Manchuria gathering herbs. After that, it gets a bit fuzzy…
Apparently, for over one hundred years, Li continued selling his own herbs and then subsequently sold herbs collected by others. He also (according to Time) had six-inch long fingernails on his right hand.
You might be thinking that he looked decrepit, shrivelled, leather-like and creepy, however sources at the time were astonished at his youthfulness. Was this suspect? Was Li Ching-Yun as old as he claimed he was, or was his birthday a clerical error or exaggeration?
Let’s take a brief look at both sides…
The Nine Lives of Li Ching-Yun
By his own admission he was born in 1736 and had lived 197 years. However, in 1930 a professor and dean at Minkuo University by the name of Wu Chung-chien, found records “proving” that Li was born in 1677. Records allegedly showed that the Imperial Chinese Government congratulated him on his 150th and 200th Birthdays.
So the question is, had he forgotten his own birthday? Was this even the same Li Ching-Yun?
Looking at all of this from a medical and documented perspective: Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who died in 1997 so far holds the title for the person who has roamed the earth the longest: 122 years, which is a phenomenal length of time.
That means, that if the records discovered by Wu Chung-chien were accurate, Li Ching-Yun’s age would surpass the official record by more than 130 years. Is this even medically possible?
The detail, which seems to prove both arguments and debunk them at the same time, is Li’s youthful appearance, noted in a 1928 article from the New York Times. Visually and physically, he appeared to look like a typical 60 year-old. Does this therefore signify a superhuman body capable of lasting one quarter of a millennium, or is the story of Li Ching-Yun based on a series of half-truths, lies or exaggerations?
lived for 256 years....apparantly....
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September 10, 2010
Men: Forgotten a Birthday? Don’t panic!
According to societal stereotypes, men are seemingly genetically coded to forget important dates and times, including birthdays, appointments and anniversaries. Yes, society almost expects the male species to mess things up and cause our loved ones undue suffering due to our forgetfulness.
However there may be an excuse for you after all……….
Sure, your significant other may claim that your relationship started on the 5th of May 2006, but that’s only the view according to the Gregorian calendar, the internationally accepted civil calendar, which is so arbitrary that a day needs to be added into the year every four years to bring it in line with the astronomical year. Even worse, these days a leap second is added into our timetables some years to make sure that our timekeeping adheres to reality, and these leap seconds need to be added at an ever-increasing rate over longer periods of time.
Also, assuming that everyone in the world should adhere to a solar calendar when there are many cultures that use lunar calendars is downrightshort-sighted. Maybe we should be a bit more open minded………….No way!
I would not be happy if my husband forgot my birthday, so if you have forgotten your partner’s birthday, go straight to eCards at http://www.ecards.co.uk
Why not send your loved ones an eCards Birthday surprise! This is the perfect way to give your friend a huge smile as soon as they open up their inbox. An eCards Birthday card is a fantastic way to let someone know you are thinking of them on their special day. It is the worst feeling when you forget a loved one’s birthday, and haven’t got time to get to the shops. Don’t panic! A Birthday ecard can be sent without leaving your home/workplace.
eCards Media LTD have an amazing selection of greeting cards everything from valentines to Easter. They have an awesome assortment of Birthday eCards, and all of them are free! Their eCards are a great way to wish someone “Happy Birthday!”
Poor Woman.......
September 7, 2010
The dreaded Christmas card send – made easy!
So you think you have it in the bag this year. You sit down having brought a 150 strong bumper box of cheap and nasty Christmas cards, 3 pens, and your address book. Not forgetting a mince pie and a glass of your favourite tipple to get you in the Christmas mood……….
The first 25 – no problem! However come number 26 your hand is aching, the taste of the envelope seal is making you feel sick, and you realise you have forgotten the stamps! Even another mince pie could not make this situation any better……
No, Christmas card writing is not my favourite job of all time so this year I will be using eCards to send my Christmas cards. No writing, no horrible taste of envelope seal, no searching for stamps and no rush to the post-box in the rain! Yipeee!
eCards Media have an amazing array of Christmas cards, suitable for all ages. You can personalise each card to suit your recipient with a click of the mouse – simple! You can upload several photographs, and write your own message on the front and on the inside of the card, giving your recipient a huge smile for Christmas.
eCards will brighten up your Christmas card send! Indeed these cards will bring immense pleasure to you and your recipient and will not just be another boring card that your recipient has to find a place for on the mantel piece!
Ecards - brighten up your Christmas card send
These fabulous cards are of the same, if not better quality as the cards you would find in any major High Street store, and with their tiny price of 99p, great value for money!
So why not give eCards a go this Christmas? Visit www.ecards.co.uk !
September 1, 2010
Germany Invades Poland
71 years ago today, Germany invaded Poland – indeed, today is the birthday of the beginning of World War 2.
World War II, or the Second World War (often abbreviated as WWII or WW2), was a global military conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945 which involved most of the world’s nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel. In a state of “total war,” the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant action against civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it was the deadliest conflict in human history that resulted in Millions of fatalities.
Why don’t you take a moment out of your day to think of loved ones that may have lost their lives in this war. Also take a moment to think about our brave and noble forces out in Afghanistan, risking their lives everyday.
Visit http://www.ecards.co.uk/ to send your loved one a Birthday Card!
