Cheese Rolling: The Greatest Thing Ever

Excuse me if I have never heard of the centuries old sport of Cheese Rolling and cannot contain my enthusiasm. Its this kind of thing that reminds me how much I love human beings. Cheese Rolling has been decribed as "twenty young men chase a cheese off a cliff and tumble 200 yards to the bottom, where they are scraped up by paramedics and packed off to hospital". The cheese wheel is seven pounds and can reach speeds of up to 70 mph annd has been known to seriously injure spectators on its way down. The winner, of course, gets the cheese.

Check out THESE PHOTOGRAPHS from the BBC website of the 2006 race. There is also video on there that you should certainly see. Incredible.

What is Going on Here?

According to this article in a South Mississippi paper, these parents named their boy E.S.P.N. after the sports-themed cable network. What the frag?! It gets even worse - the article says that there are THREE OTHER children out there also named ESPN.

HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD? What is going on here?!


Here is the article

Some Streetside Dreck

This is from the Congress of New Urbanism. We have similar signage in Hartford with an adult's impression of a "cool" looking youth saying "be cool, stay in school." Kids are not so stupid. Anyways, it seems that people think we need to light everything up like Las Vegas with flashy garbage like this.

Here is what John Norquist has to say:

"Detroit elementary school sign. In a city and school district strapped for cash they invest $$ in suburban signage. These signs
are all over and spreading. I suppose the signs are intended to overcome the doubts parents have about schools. Remember how banners were intended to add character to struggling main streets? The banner sales force hit every old burg with an inferiority complex and made a bundle. Now the back-lit sign salesmen have hit up every school district in America; probably even your town."

The Famous Musical Stones of Skiddaw

Constructed between 1827 and 1840 by Keswick stonemason Joseph Richardson out of special 'hornfels' slate, the Musical Stones of Skiddaw were made famous throughout Britain and Europe in the Victorian period. They were played expertly by Joseph and his three sons and they performed with the instrument front of Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace three times in 1848. They instrument has been kept at Keswick Museum and Art Gallery since 1914 and any visitor can walk in and play them. In the last two years they have been taken out out tour again for special concerts.

Click here for the wikipedia entry on the Musical Stones.

Below is a video of a live performance featuring the Musical Stones at Leeds.

Lucasfilm Ltd. Makes Documentary on Emperor Karl

According to the newsletter of the Blessed Karl of Austria League of Prayers for Peace Among the Nations, the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles DVDs are set to be released in 2007. The other bit of new news in here is that it says the discs will be made "available to schools." Anyways, the Emperor Karl episode of Young Indy was one of my favorites and I am really looking forward to these DVDS (George, if you are reading, please leave in the George Hall bookends. Thanks. You're the man.)

Here is the full text of the article:

Lucas Films in California is preparing for the release on DVD of the TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." The release will be accompanied by documentaries on various historical figures from World War I featured in the fictional series. The second documentary in the series will be about Emperor Karl I of Austria. The studio is headed by the famed Hollywood director George Lucas.

H.I.R.H. Countess Maria Beatrix Arco and H.I.R.H. Archduke Simeon of Austria, both of whom are grandchildren of the Emperor, and Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B., the American/Canadian Delegate to the Presidium of the Emperor Karl League of Prayers, were interviewed on-camera in New York City as part of the documentary.

The interviews were part of the research for the documentary about Emperor Karl I, and will include information about the League of Prayers and about the Emperor's Beatification, which occurred in 2004. It will be about 30 minutes long, and be made available to schools.


"The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” was based on the Indiana Jones series of films produced by George Lucas Films. The TV series followed the Indiana Jones character, as a young boy and young man, during his early adventures as he encounters various historical figures.

During one episode of the series, the young Indiana Jones helps smuggle in and out of Austria two of Emperor KarlÂ’s brothers-in-law, Princes Sixtus and Felix, so that they could meet with him and take his peace proposals back to the French and English.

Although Indiana Jones’ involvement is fictionalized, the actual historical event happened and is called “The Sixtus Affair.” The Emperor wished to establish peace negotiations with the Entente Powers. The normal diplomatic channels had broken down, and although the princes were brothers of Empress Zita, they were also serving in the Belgian Army and had contacts at the highest levels in France and England. Because of their unique situation, the Emperor believed that they could best serve the interests of all sides in any peace negotiations.

The television episode portrays the dangers surrounding this bold move by the Emperor, as well as the many forces trying to thwart his efforts.

The documentary and series has a projected release date in 2007, and will be available on DVD.