Humbug.
My favorite insect.
I hear you, Bear, but I don't totally agree with you, from personal experience even shopping in our town this morning (early, to try and avoid the worst of the crowds, but may I say:
"Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay."
I'll read back in this thread properly later, including your article. I think Charles Dickens probably invented the modern Christmas, in the English-speaking world anyway, and it's a good thing to re-read "A Christmas Carol" in December, I feel.
Yes, it's all fluff and flummery, but it can be nice too. (Remember the feelgood part of "Love Story" with Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neill? That had a nice christmassy bit in it, and Hollywood can do it so well. Ahhhhh)
McT
'Kick off party?' The idea is completely lost on me. My idea of any party is having friends over for a dinner and then a big conversation until the early hours of the next morning.
My little brother (13 yrs younger) complained that I had bought him one (big) present and my goddaughter 3 (smaller) ones. He wanted three ones, too. I could have been having a good time with my then girlfriend in Ponte Lecchio, but I chose to go back to show family solidarity, but it accounts for nothing in a 'give me' world.
People forced me to DJ at Uni Christmas discos, because I was the only one there somewhat sober. It was the same story for me. People have their priorities mixed up.
I've been reading these grumpy Christmas threads, and while I can relate, my 3-yr-old really transforms everything for me.
Case in point -- our next-door neighbors are on some sort of "House Beautiful" kick. They landscaped, cut down a perfectly gorgeous tree that made it hard for their grass to grow to maximal lushness, etc. I rolled my eyes and scoffed when I saw them put up some fancy moving reindeer (one "grazes", one looks this way and that) all done up in lights on their front lawn.
Well, little sick sozlet caught sight of them for the first time last night, after it was dark. Her eyes got very big. "Mama, look at the beautiful reindeer..! [hushed] They're moving!." She gazed at them, utterly enchanted, for a long time.
She just loves everything about the season -- the lights, the songs, the Santas, the reindeer, the Frostys, the stories, the presents, the decorations, the special foods, the hot chocolate -- EVERYTHING. And notice "presents" were just kind of stuck in there... she certainly loves presents, but only as an ingredient in all of the Christmas wonderfulness.
So, this age is an awfully nice one to view Christmas through.
no doubt you're correct soz, my cubs were like that too.....once.
Their attitude changed through no prompting by me.They have eyes to see.
Today is our "whole family chips in to give the house a thorough cleaning and decorate" day. It used to be a fun family day. Now it gets over like a pregnant pole vaulter.
I wholeheartedly agree with you sozobe, and although those days are long gone for most of us, it's nice to see amazement in little faces.
I never had children, and no girlfriend I've ever had has wanted them. I suppose, because of our style of living, that we want to concentrate on each other.
It happens, Bear; it's rather depressing, but it does. I don't know what to say about it, and I usually have something to say about everything.
Phoenix32890 wrote:steissd- Long time, no see. Hope that all is well!
Thanks for paying attention. Unfortunately, nothing is OK. I am still unemployed, and I was absent from the forum due to heavy depression caused by this thing...
Soz
I remember when my son was like that. Ahhhh, those were the days :-)
Steissd
Good to see you and sorry to hear that things are not going well.
dròm_et_rêve wrote:YES! You're right Bear. You know, in Birmingham, from where I am luckilly going to leave next year, Political Correctness has gone so far, one cannot use the word 'Christmas' in any Council celebration affiliated with the festive season, supposedly because it would 'offend' the Muslim minority. They call it 'Winterval.' I wrote in, challenging the council as to why one could not call Winterval Christmas, but /can/ call Santa Claus, Santa Claus. Shouldn't he be called PC Annual Gift Man? No, they replied in patronisingly nice tone saying that this would take away the magic of Christmas. Wouldn't taking away the affiliation with Christ take away the magic of Christmas, I asked them on the phone. They said, 'Go **** yourself with a lemon, you manbitch'- even though they don't know me- and slammed the phone down. The Spirit of Christmas lives on!
There is a good Russian proverb that sounds in literal translation as "If a moron is told to go and to pray, he will break his forehead against the church floor"[Russian Orthodox prayer implies in certain moments kneeling and bowing]. The same refers to the PC crowd from the Birmingham Council. Why should the Muslims (Hindus, Jews, pagans, Buddhists) feel insulted with the fact that the Christian majority has festivals of their own?
On similar grounds Israelis should cease celebrating Passover after having signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1978, in order to avoid diplomatic tensions with the latter. Thanks God, none of the Birmingham Council members has become an Israeli Chief Rabbi...
steissd wrote:
Quote:There is a good Russian proverb that sounds in literal translation as "If a moron is told to go and to pray, he will break his forehead against the church floor"...The same refers to the PC crowd from the Birmingham Council...
Thank you for your support, steissd; I couldn't have put it better myself. I got all sorts of newspaper inches for daring to go against the system, but some papers were with me. Did you know that, in Birmingham as well (quelle surprise), the authorities forced people to take down any porcelain pigs in case it offended Muslim people? It's bizarre. People should have freedom, to a certain extent. Why should the majority be surpressed for being... the majority? Funnily enough, all the adherents to Islam I know were neither offended by bona fide Christmas nor by pigs; they said that it would be rather hypocritical.
PC is in full swing here, but that doesn't stop the objectification of women, which is driving me to distraction. In fact, when I was on a radio debate and dared to use the word 'nutter' (madman) against the pro-Winterval guy and the Council, I received Very Abusive mail by mental health charities saying that my usage of nutter was incorrect, amongst other things. I even saw my picture on page 7 of the local paper (I still have it now, to laugh at it), which proclaims 'Eccentric Student in battle against the spirit of Winterval'. People should not have their use of language oppressed, unless their words be untasteful or racist. Then, freedom of expression only happens in bona fide democracies, and I cannot point to one true democracy in the Western world.
I do not have "1984" in immediate availability, but I remember that the totalitarian politicians tend to modify the normal human language creating a very euphemistic argot of their own that hides and distracts real meaning of the words. Now the good English word "Christmas" falls victim to the mentally unhealthy (to avoid the politically incorrect and insulting definitions) neophytes of the PC faith. Which word will be the next?
BTW, which of Birminghams do you mean: the one in Alabama or the British one?
That's what I was thinking about too... 'doublespeech.' The PC faith would have us speech a wonderful version of English, 'Freedomspeech,' in which one must disguise one's twists and turns in thought. I think it disgusting that people do such a thing, but calling an idiot or a nutter 'mentally challenged' or 'mentally unhealthy' does nothing to change the opinions of others. If that were the case, we wouldn't have racism in this world. It is stupidly optimistic to think thus. I think that the PC form often sounds more condescending than the politically incorrect form. PC has also overlooked women too...
It's Birmingham in England, not that in Alabama.. I don't think the Alabaman council would have such a problem with such words, considering their past...
Aaah Dròm! The thought of the French town to shop in reminds me.... of driving to Gibraltar along the perilous coast road for Christmas stuff. Gibraltar was always a "real trip," kind of nasty, kind of funny, but it had STUFF, and it was DIFFERENT!
dròm_et_rêve wrote:
It's Birmingham in England, not that in Alabama.. I don't think the Alabaman council would have such a problem with such words, considering their past...
Oops, I just wanted to ask that - because on their website, 'christmas' is mentioned quite a lot (and we here in Germany know that the biggest German christmas market in the UK is in Birmingham) (well, McTag, the Manchester one will soon be greater :wink: ).
Tartarin said:
Quote:reminds me.... of driving to Gibraltar along the perilous coast road for Christmas stuff. Gibraltar was always a "real trip," kind of nasty, kind of funny, but it had STUFF, and it was DIFFERENT!
Ah, you did that kind of thing too? It's liberating to go somewhere different for a change, especially when it's so far away from the queues... and one can get things of better quality for cheaper. Do you still go to Gibraltar for Christmas?
Walter asked:
Quote:Oops, I just wanted to ask that - because on their website, 'christmas' is mentioned quite a lot (and we here in Germany know that the biggest German christmas market in the UK is in Birmingham.
Look here about Winterval It's old, but it's the best article I could find.
It is really funny that you should mention that, Walter; I was at the German market a few days ago with my fiery friend, Jo. They were quite surprised that someone could speak German (although my standard wasn't that good.) It was on New Street; it was nice.
Anyhow, the name Winterval is still
de rigeur when one must converse about Christmas, although they do call the German market the Frankfurt Christmas market. I think that that may be the sole exception to the rule. How they villainised me for just sticking up for Christmas...
Hiya Walt, yoo-hoo!
Yes, our Christmas Market is going great guns at the moment with German and French and Belgian and other funny foreign johnnies (only joking of course) and I had an early glass of Gluhwein last week.
Yes, these Birmingham nutters sound well mad.
Here, Greater Manchester, despite a lot of "PC" thinking from our leaders we still have an official Christmas, and of course Dwali for Hindus and Eid for Muslims and we are all encouraged (as if we needed or welcomed official encouragement) to get involved in these. Children are taught about them in schools, celebrating diversity I suppose, not a bad thing.
I can't imagine BTW a public servant in Manchester telling a ratepayer to "Go **** yourself with a lemon", but perhaps I've led a too-sheltered life.
dròm_et_rêve wrote:That's what I was thinking about too... 'doublespeech.' The PC faith would have us speech a wonderful version of English, 'Freedomspeech,' in which one must disguise one's twists and turns in thought. I think it disgusting that people do such a thing, but calling an idiot or a nutter 'mentally challenged' or 'mentally unhealthy' does nothing to change the opinions of others. If that were the case, we wouldn't have racism in this world. It is stupidly optimistic to think thus. I think that the PC form often sounds more condescending than the politically incorrect form. PC has also overlooked women too...
It's Birmingham in England, not that in Alabama.. I don't think the Alabaman council would have such a problem with such words, considering their past...
Well, IMHO, people use euphemisms in order to hide their genuine disgust toward minorities. If someone avoids the word "Black" while describing appearance of some Black human being, I have reasons to suspect that he/she considers blackness being a disadvantage. Neither do I think that addressing some married woman as "Mrs. Some Family Name" may insult her: if she were dissatisfied with her marital status, she would just divorce or avoid marriage. Exaggerated PC approach, IMHO, reflects highest degrees of hypocrisy and latent bigotry.
Our Christmas market relies only on German people, it need not be watered down by other nationalities
. This means that our one is more authentically German, and thus superior. My friend Jo had some hot wine, but I decided to stick to coffee, as I was drinking.
In the elysium that is Manchester, such things may never happen, but I caused a public furore about the whole thing and subsequently was derided for exercising my freedom of speech. I expected that such people would have some sense of... restraint... but no. I should scan in one of the articles one of the days...
'These Birmingham nutters sound well mad'; I love it. The PC gestapo will, of course, tell us to move along and use a more correct version, or shut up.
