Tag Archives: Christmas
[VIDEO] Gangnam Style: Christmas Light Show
I love when people take the time to go all out for Christmas. And although this song is now ridiculously annoying, the light show itself is pretty damn awesome.
YouTube:
It’s not quite a Christmas song, but when I heard it in August, I figured it would be a fun song to synchronize my lights to. Many all-nighters and even more gray hairs later, our show is finally running. This is the 5th and final song in our 3rd annual light show this year. 384 channels controlling over 60,000 LEDs, plus a few incan.
If you like the song,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00970FKAY/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=135…
DISCLAIMER: “I do not own the music and am using it under the “Fair Use” portion of the U.S. Copyright Law.”
Zac, 15, Shares Letter Of Love For Two Gay Fathers Who Adopted Him After Tumultuous Upbringing
A friend of mine sent this to me and said that I should share this with others. After reading this letter and the story that coincided with how Zac felt, I couldn’t see why I wouldn’t share such a compelling letter and story. My girlfriend and I are in the process of having a child and I could only hope that we can make them understand what Zac has understood. We want to love and raise a child to be the best person that they can be despite the fact that we are two lesbians. Thank you Zac for sharing your story with others.
On his eighth birthday, Zac found himself surrounded by police.
The woman whom he now refers to as his “birthmom” was arrested because, as Zac states, she had “many boyfriends and she did a lot of drugs and partying.”
During the next three years Zac lived in 12 different foster homes before he was given some great news. A loving couple living in Berkeley, Calif. wanted nothing more than to adopt him — two gay, would-be dads named Arturo and Dave.
Zac’s first thought: “Well, I never had a dad, now I get to have two!”
This past Christmas, Zac decided to read the following note to his dads, Arturo and Dave (lovingly referred to as “Dad” and “Dadio”), and his adopted brothers, Nick and Derrick, before they opened their presents.
Zac’s note tells the story of his tumultuous upbringing, the anger and destructive behavior that resulted from the negative experiences he endured as a child, and, ultimately, the appreciation and love he has for his two dads, not to mention his adopted brothers, Nick and Derrick.
With the permission of his fathers, we share Zac’s heartfelt letter with you.
To my Family,
This is the first Christmas letter that I have ever written. I feel like since I am getting older, I should start writing a letter to the family or just talk about how I thought the family’s year has gone until Christmas.
Ever since I ended up in this family people have told me that I was lucky. I have always known that I am lucky, especially when I have two dads that love me so much as Dad and Dadio. My family is very special to me. Even when we fight and even when we argue, I know they will always love me. Yes I am a lucky boy to have ended up here after spending so many years in foster care and not knowing if I would ever have a family.
I didn’t grow with a dad. My birthmom had many boyfriends and she did a lot of drugs and partying. My sisters and me were taken from her on my eighth birthday. It was not fun to have police in my room on that day. It made me sad and this sadness I carried for many years and it got me in a lot of trouble. Then I landed in a great foster home after having lived in 12 different homes in three years. It was when I lived there that both my foster mom and social worker told me there was a family that wanted me. There was a catch: it was two dads!
Honestly, it didn’t matter to me. I told them, “well, I never had a dad, now I get to have two!”
The start was tough and rough, and I put them through hell and back. I did awful and nasty things to them both. I stole their credit card and spent thousands of dollars online. When we went on my first vacation out of the country, I stole stuff from a souvenir stand – they found out and made me go back to the shop to return the souvenirs and made me pay the lady who owned the shop for the stolen property which then I had to give to a local kid. I didn’t get it and thought they were being mean.
When I stole their American Express and maxed it buying stuff online I was only 12 years old. They were very upset, but Dad made sure I got the message of how serious this was. He took me to our local police station and reported me to the police captain for having stolen again. I was taken to an interrogation room and talked to by three police officers. All the time there I only wanted my Dad to come in and bring me home. I wanted to turn time back to before my stealing so I would not be there and I would not have hurt my parents so much. I learned my lesson and NEVER stole again!
But Dad and Dadio brought not just me into this family. They also added my brother Derrick. What I can say about Derrick is that he is really cool, he is funny, he is an awesome gay guy, he is a one of a kind guy, he is my bro. Next they added Nick. Nick can get on my nerves sometimes, but in the end he is pretty cool. He is a fast learner when it comes to math and multiplying numbers. And with that said, I will go to the roots of the family.
Dad and Dadio. They are my parents and they are always here when I need them.
When it is dark they are the light,
When I feel frightened and chill’s,
They are the warmth I feel.
When I am hungry they cook my meals.I did not put a lot of time into the poem, but in the poem you see my parents. The people that show me the light. The people that warm my heart when it gets dark. The people that cook my meals. If I could only ask for anything for Christmas I would only ask for my family.
By Zac
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- Zac Travels and Trains With His Birthday Girl Vanessa (popsugar.com)
Single Mother Killed By Hit-And-Run On Christmas Has List Of Dreams In Her Pocket
Donna Fountain, 38, was killed on Christmas day by a hit-and-run driver and family is now mourning their loss. Fountain’s list of dreams that she was carrying in her pocket though, make it that much more real that she deserved a much longer life.
Scribbled down on a lined sheet of paper, Ms Fountain underscored ‘My Dreams’ and had composed a list of five things she hoped to accomplish in the long life she envisioned ahead.
’Work on my dream job’, reads the top line, followed by ‘Buy a house by 45′, ‘Start housing for gay and lesbian teens’, ‘Marry the woman of my dreams’, and lastly, ‘Make sure Elijah graduates from college!
The healthcare aid worker was on her way to work when she was struck by the vehicle that took her life. Friends say she always had this list of dreams folded in her pocket and made sure to keep it with her .
The grey vehicle that struck Fountain just took blocks from her and her son’s home left her there to die. Her plans to pick up her son after school and open Christmas gifts was never able to happen. The single mother was killed around 7:30am on Christmas morning, without completing her list of dreams.
Related articles
- Street lights on dark road where soldier was killed in Christmas Day accident had been switched off to save cash (dailymail.co.uk)
- Donna Fountain: Victim of Christmas Hit-and-Run Had ‘Dreams’ List in Pocket (ibtimes.com)
- Report: Woman Killed In Hit And Run Accident Carried Wish List Of Her Dreams (newyork.cbslocal.com)
- Your Morning Cry: Single Mom Found Dead With A List Of Dreams In Her Pocket [Awful] (jezebel.com)
- Soldier, 19, killed in Christmas Day road accident as he prepared for Afghanistan duty (dailymail.co.uk)
[VIDEOS] Amazing Story Of A Teen Who Coincidentally Left His Own Memorial On YouTube
This is a truly heartbreaking story and definitely worth watching.
Ben Breedlove, 18, recorded two courageously touching videos explaining his heart condition and the few near death experiences that had happened. Coincidentally, these videos were posted by the high-school student one week before he passed away, which happened to be Christmas Day.
Breedlove lived in Austin, texas and suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a disease that makes the blood muscle abnormally thick which in turn makes it rather difficult to pump blood. As he got older, he understood the severity of his disease and was aware that these near death experiences would most likely stop occurring, because unfortunately, he would succumb to his disorder. Bravely, he got in front of the camera and shared his story in two compelling videos:
YouTube -
Kieran Miles inspired me to do this, Thought I would share my story to the rest of the world, watch part two. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4LSEXsvRAI&feature=player_embedded
YouTube -
Kieran Miles inspired me to do this, Just thought I should share my story to the rest of the world, watch part 1 first. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmlTHfVaU9o
The young man you see in these videos is inspiring and shares how being different to any degree is difficult for kids to understand and cope with. Regardless of sexual orientation, physical disorders, mental disorders, emotional disorders, race, etc. Breedlove operated two YouTube channels: YouTube channels: Our Advice4You and BreedloveTV and had gained quite a following, around 80,000 subscribers.
Kid Cudi has seen these videos, and wrote a message on his Tumblr in regards to Breedlove’s passing:
“I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart,” wrote Cudi in a message that received 1,692 notes. “We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s [definitely] mine. You have my love.”
Although I am not religious, I am happy that this young man felt at peace and is happy to know that Angels and God are on his side. For him, this made him feel good about his passing and probably left his parents with the knowledge that he would be okay. They raised a good kid with a serious issue until the age of eighteen. He seemed appreciate and kind-hearted. While he may be gone now, they can forever remember how far he had come and that he was happy with who he was. This is amazing.
Related articles
- Ben Breedlove: Teen Tells Heartbreaking Story Week Before Death (huffingtonpost.com)
- Ben Breedlove: Video sick teenager made about his life 1 week before he died (dailymail.co.uk)
- YouTube Slam: Weekly video contest launched but has the Internet Got Talent? (dailymail.co.uk)
- YouTube launches video discovery experiment called YouTube Slam (9to5google.com)
- Sick teen posts final video before death (news.ninemsn.com.au)
- Ben Breedlove: Austin Teen of YouTube Fame Dies on Christmas Day [VIDEOS] (ibtimes.com)
[UPDATE] Father Dressed As Santa And Gunned Down Family As They Opened Gifts
UPDATE: December 29th, 2011 @ 4:20 PM -
Yazdanpanah’s niece, 22-year-old Sara Fatemeh Zarei, sent a text to a friend just before 11am saying they had arrived at the apartment and that Yazdanpanah was there.
‘Soo we’re here. We just got here and my uncle is here too. Dressed as Santa. Awesome,’ she said in one text.
At 11:15 am she texted: ‘Now he wants to be all fatherly and win father of the year.’
Grapevine police Sgt. Robert Eberling said police believe that after Yazdanpanah shot his six family members, he called 911 at 11:34 am and then shot himself.
Police arrived about three minutes later and found everyone dead. It appeared they had been opening presents around their Christmas tree just before the attack.
A recording of the 911 call released yesterday revealed someone saying: ‘Help, help’ and then ‘I am shooting people.’
Police said those words, muffled by the caller’s labored breathing, couldn’t be heard by the dispatcher on Christmas Day but were audible when investigators used a different software system. They believe the call was made by Yazdanpanah.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aziz Yazdanpanah, 56, had separated from his estranged wife in March of this year. On Christmas morning in Grapevine, Texas, Yazdanpanah came into an apartment dressed as Santa and shot dead many victims before turning the gun on himself. Among some of those murdered were two of his children as well as his estranged wife and it is believed that the separation is what led to this disastrous Christmas.
The victims have been identified as his wife Nasrin Rahmaty, 55, the couple’s two children Nona Yazdanpanah, 19, and her brother, Ali, 15.
Yazdanpanah also killed his sister-in-law’s family. Zohreh Rahmaty, 58, who was Nasrin’s sister, and her husband, Hossein Zarei, 59. Their daughter Sahra Zarei, 22, was also shot.
Although the family was having financial troubles and had to declare bankruptcy, no one expected that this loving father would take the lives of his children and other family members. Police had said it was the most gruesome gun crime that they had seen in this district.
Police dispatched at about 11:30am local time on Sunday, found the bodies in the first-floor living room of a two-story unit in the Lincoln Vineyards apartments, police said.
The 911 caller never spoke to police, and officers did not see the telephone when they arrived, officials said.
Eberling said he believed police had to kick in the door to enter. No neighbors reported hearing gunshots, he said.
For a father to kill his own children is absolutely horrendous, and then to be so cruel and dress as Santa Clause before gunning down everyone, I just can’t possibly imagine what was going on in this man’s head. Money, despite it being a major cause for stress, should never be so important that not living seems to be the only solution. The children who were murdered through this had full lives to live and could have been responsible for doing something miraculous, but because you allowed the finances to become unbearable, you took their lives from them.
Daughter Nona Yazdanpanah
Nona's cousin Sahra Zarei
These children were innocent, and had to pay for your stress, unhappiness, and selfishness. You are lucky to have died because quite honestly, it would have been a better scenario if you had to live with the guilt of what you had done.
Related articles
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- Cops: Man in Santa Suit Killed Relatives (myfoxphoenix.com)
- Police: Gunman in murder-suicide dressed as Santa (sfgate.com)
- Man Dresses As Santa Claus, Kills Entire Family (inquisitr.com)
[VIDEO] Reindeer Breaks Into Family’s Home On Christmas Eve
YouTube -
While we were waiting for Santa and his Reindeer to land on our roof, we heard a crash in the basement instead!!!
Talk about a Christmas surprise! So many kids (including myself) has asked Santa Clause for a reindeer, but soon realized that wouldn’t be likely. For this family, the wish came true. Unfortunately, his entrance into the home was a little more destructive than what I had imagined.
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Ricky Gervais Is Witty And Intelligent.
Many Christian Twitter followers are highly offended by Ricky Gervais and have made their outrage apparent with tweets to and about the comedic atheist.
The Office creator, 50, has often spoken of his lack of faith, but his appearance on the cover of New Humanist magazine in a Jesus Christ-style pose has pushed a few over the edge:
In the magazine there is also an article that features an interview that was done with Mr. Gervais. Here he discusses a new movie he’s working on called ‘Afterlife’ where he will be playing the role of ‘God‘.
Ricky reveals he plays the religious leader as ‘an arrogant, wisecracking son of a b****, who thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread’ in the new show.
And he says despite the touchy subject the programme isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
‘He (God in the show) also loves welcoming atheists to heaven with a smug grin on his face. He likes atheists deep down though. Or rather he likes good atheists,’ Ricky muses.
‘He admires the fact that they were moral people even though they didn’t believe they would ever be rewarded with everlasting life. It’s not anti-religion, it’s just fun.’
He adds: ‘I used to believe in God. The Christian one, that is. (There are a few thousand to choose from. But I was born in a country where the dominant religion was Christianity so I believed in that one. Isn’t it weird how that always happens?)
‘Luckily I was also interested in science and nature. And reason and logic. And honesty and truth. And equality and fairness.
This man is a role model in my eyes and I love that he is not backing down just because he’s pissed a few people off. Instead, he’s stood up for what he believes, which is disbelief. He’s not a cruel man and makes it that much more clear that atheists are just like Christians, with one small difference: God. Whether we believe in something does not determine our actions or our sense of morality. A good person is good regardless of their beliefs, and the same goes for bad people.
The sarcasm he enlists to make his points about religion are very compelling. His compassion for humanity is apparent. His talent (who some would say was a gift from God) is overwhelming. Don’t deny him applause for the greatness he is and has done, simply because he thinks differently than you. And if you do choose to be so small-minded, you might want to ask God to forgive you for placing judgment on others.
Related articles
- Don’t Worry, Ricky Gervais Will Right Of All The Golden Globe Nomination Wrongings [Tweet Beat] (jezebel.com)
- Ricky Gervais’ Battle vs. Fundamentalists: Gervais’ Photo Burned Online (huffingtonpost.com)
- Ricky Gervais In An Unholy Twitter Battle (huffingtonpost.com)
- New fury at Ricky Gervais tweets (thesun.co.uk)
How I Feel About The “War On Christmas”
Just yesterday with my parents we were discussing this exact issue. My mom, who works at a National bank, can no longer wish people a ‘Merry Christmas‘ in case it offends them. The tree lighting that was referred to as a ‘Holiday Tree Lighting’ was viewed as a way to attack the Christians, their faith and the meaning behind Christmas when in fact it was just a way for everyone to be included in the celebration.
I’m an Atheist so when it comes down to it, I do not believe in Jesus nor do I want to praise and give thanks to something or someone who I feel is about as mythical as Santa Clause. Although, I have grown up celebrating Christmas and come to love it whole-heartedly. For me, Christmas is not about religion, but about being with friends and family, embracing the cold weather and taking time to appreciate the little things like taking joy in giving to others. Sadly I believe that the religious aspect is insignificant seeing as most people either feel the way I do on the Holiday no longer representing Jesus; But I also don’t agree with the greed aspect of corporations trying to capitalize on the Holiday and taking advantage of people during a season that represents love, compassion, selflessness, and respect.
I am an atheist. I love Christmas. I love my friends. I love my family. And instead of getting irritated or feeling attacked because people won’t allow you to say something or you are saying the wrong thing to them, just remember that the fact they acknowledged you at all and extended kindness was a gift in itself. If it wasn’t your birthday, you believed it wasn’t your birthday, and a stranger had just said ‘have a great birthday’ before walking off, you would not feel that they were being malicious and attacking your religious beliefs or intentionally trying to offend you, would you? No. They were trying to be nice without actually knowing your intricate background, including: religion, morality, political views, etc.
It’s the HOLIDAY SEASON…just be happy, be nice, respect and be kind to anyone and everyone. Life’s too short. Especially if you’re an atheist and believe this is your ONE life. Nothing more 
Related articles
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- Video: Merry Christmas from Mariah, Madonna and the Muppets (heatworld.com)
- Ask Richard: Should I Help My Parents with the Church Christmas Pageant? (patheos.com)
- Poll of the Week: What Kinda Gifts Do You Buy for Christmas? +94% of Christians, 56% of Non-Christians and 82% of Non-Believers Celebrate! (ginosblog.com)