London is Burning....

...And I find that news incredibly sad. To England I ask: was it worth the five lost lives and £200 million in damages? What did you accomplish with the rioting, arson and looting? From the country which gave me Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Rowling, Firth and Branagh (just to name a few), the reports of rioting last week in England sickened me.  This is a country that I adopted as my second home after reading Jane Eyre when I was 12 years old and I consider England to have one of the greatest, most refined cultures (other than the obvious hooliganism that takes place during football matches).  Yes!  Football - not soccer, you heathens.

Even more worrisome is the fact that the riots have even had an effect in the US - particularly here in Newburyport.  There is a Best of Britain shop on the high street that has been plagued with a recent bout of mischief.  Two people nearly broke down the doors in their attempt to enter the store and I believe a bottle of soda was thrown toward the shop.  No damage was done.  So sad.  Although perhaps I'm mistaken.  It's quite possible it was just some tourists being overly enthusiastic.  This shop is probably one of the funniest stores in town because it does sell some of the tackiest items you'll ever find.  The store front alone during the wedding of William and Kate was a bevy of overpriced tourist crap, but it does carry some great British imports of candy, teas and biscuits so it's a lovely little shop to visit.  Plus, it sells a t-shirt with quite possibly my favorite saying ever:

FYI: I am well represented with this t-shirt,
being from British, German and Italian ancestry. 

If you're ever in Newburyport, I recommend making a stop in this shop if for no other reason than for the humour of it all.  Cheers.