THOSE WHO MAY CARE December 12, 1996: What Was That Virginia?

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* A Little Christmas History                                             *
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Stephen Nissenbaum, the author of "The Battle for Christmas," a study on 
the holiday's evolution in early American History.

Q:  Who is most responsible for Christmas as we know it.

A:  Clement Clarke Moore, a wealthy New Yorker who in 1822 wrote "A Visit 
from St. Nicholas" -- better known as "The Night Before Christmas."  His 
poem was a reaction to what he saw in the streets.  Back then, Christmas 
was a raucous combination of Halloween, Mardi Gras and wilding.  The poor 
would demand entrance into the homes of the rich and aggressively beg for 
food, drink and money.  Sometimes things would escalate, and there would 
be break-ins, vandalism, sexual assaults and plenty of drinking.  In 1828, 
after a particularly violent Christmas, the city instituted a professional 
police force.  Moore described a ritual that took place in the safe 
confines of the home and did not involve the poor at all.  His poem was a 
conscious step in taming the holiday.

Source: New York Times Magazine

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* When Anal Retentiveness is not necessarily a good thing...             *
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- Charinassa Fairley was charged in July with killing her husband in Baton
Rouge, La., after police found a list that included the notations "make a 
prank call to him; offer food and love; make him take a bath with you.  
Put on gloves" and "make love like never before for the last time.  Lay 
down after he falls asleep.  Pop him."

- In September, former Navy Ensign Dana R. Collins, was convicted of 
murder of a colleague after police found a to-do list that included the 
items "Take him out," "Cut him up/take head/fingers and toes," "Put him 
in 2 bags," and "Drive body to Pennsylvania.  Keep head and fingers and 
toes -- scatter on way back."

- After Gary Lynn Davis , was arrested in July and charged with sexual 
assaults on several children around Adrian, Pa., police found in his home 
a neatly printed, three-page list of 125 "Boys and Girls I've Been With" 
that included abbreviations for acts committed with each."

Source: News of the Weird

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* Spooky!?!                                                              *
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"I didn't want it to touch me," Michelle Edwards said, in explaining why 
she had refused to let her 6-year old daughter wade into the shallows.  It
was hard not to be superstitious.  The infamous lake in Union, S.C., had 
already swallowed up a family of five and two other people who had been 
drawn to the site where Susan Smith drowned her two young sons.

This time, the victims were shining their headlights of their truck on the
memorabilias to Mrs. Smith's sons when the vehicle somehow rolled into the
water.  The five people inside, including four children, one an infant 
drowned.  So did two adults who swam out to try to save the others.

Source: New York Times

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