chrisg
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 04:51 PM |
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This time of year....
....I abolutely hate it.
I can't stand halloween, the implicit devil worship is one thing but I really hate the American"Trick or treat" nonsense.
Any other night of the year this would be called demanding money with menaces and criminal damage.
What a spiffing idea to let small children wander about knocking on stranger's doors.
Then there's the begging, or "penny for the guy" as it's known. These little urchins fasten a morrisons carrier bag to the
top of a Primark sweatshirt, believing that this is the typical garb of a 16th/17th century soldier and insurgent. It isn't.
I'll tell you something else if you give them a penny and take the maqnnequin all hell brakes loose!
The more generous amongst you will donate of course, safe in the knowledge that your shillings have gone to a worthy cause - Threshers profit on apple
based alcohlic beverages.
Then there's the big night. Remember, Remember......er....bonfire night.
Let me take you to an alternate reality, A place where Robert Catesby and his mate "Big guy" decided to run for the local council rather
than blowing up parliament.
Fast forward to 2008 and an MP stands up in the house of commons and says
"The problem of youth crime is completely out of control but fear not, for I have the answer! Let's arm the yobs with explosives for
three monthgs of the year"
How do you think that would go down?
Not so good? Yet that's what we do every year.
Firewworks should only be sold to persons with a licence (you know like they do with all other explosives) for public displays. People who like
bright objects could go to the displays.
(although I grew out of being impressed by shiney things about the same time I started to chew my own food, I wouldn't want to deprive anyone
else)
So there you have it a week when gangs of beggers stake out your supermarket with a "guy"that wouldn't fool Stevie Wonder and others
take on the role of baliffs, kicking your door in and demanding goods, all played out to the delightful strains of the screaming animal and the
ambulance.
I'm off to Beruit for a breather.
Cheers
Chris
[Edited on 31/10/08 by chrisg]
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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scootz
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 04:55 PM |
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Good point... well made!
I'm off into hibernation!
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Benzine
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 04:56 PM |
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Completely agree with the license idea for fireworks, organised displays only etc
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 05:00 PM |
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good rant,
this my second US Halloween and its truly awful. I will be leaving the house at around 3PM and not coming home until really late.
fortunately we don't have the fireworks problems here as its illegal to let off or sell fireworks inside city limits
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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BenB
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 05:28 PM |
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Personally- I hate hallowen. Stupid "festival" and an excuse to put lots of scary movies on tv that I don't like watching!!!
I quite like fireworks but yes- professionally organised ones are the best. I've seen too many near misses at homebrew demonstrations......
Personally though I always have a mini firework display on November the 6th. Amazing how 1 day makes 50% price difference 
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:04 PM |
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I too object to fireworks at any time other that Nov 5th or New Year.
There is a prat down the road from me who is a Jehovah's Witless.
Doesn't celebrate Christmas like all us heathens, but let's off about 5 grands worth of fireworks every time it's someone's
birthday, for about three hours.
Last time I went out into my garden and though we had been attacked by Apaches.
There were three foot long, 1/4in square, bits of wood sticking up all over the shop.
If anyone had gone out to see what the racket was and looked up, they could have been blinded or killed.
They had obviously come down with some force as they were stuck in about 6-7 inches.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:04 PM |
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I too object to fireworks at any time other that Nov 5th or New Year.
There is a prat down the road from me who is a Jehovah's Witless.
Doesn't celebrate Christmas like all us heathens, but let's off about 5 grands worth of fireworks every time it's someone's
birthday, for about three hours.
Last time I went out into my garden and though we had been attacked by Apaches.
There were three foot long, 1/4in square, bits of wood sticking up all over the shop.
If anyone had gone out to see what the racket was and looked up, they could have been blinded or killed.
They had obviously come down with some force as they were stuck in about 6-7 inches.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:19 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
I too object to fireworks at any time other that Nov 5th or New Year.
There is a prat down the road from me who is a Jehovah's Witless.
Doesn't celebrate Christmas like all us heathens, but let's off about 5 grands worth of fireworks every time it's someone's
birthday, for about three hours.
Last time I went out into my garden and though we had been attacked by Apaches.
There were three foot long, 1/4in square, bits of wood sticking up all over the shop.
If anyone had gone out to see what the racket was and looked up, they could have been blinded or killed.
They had obviously come down with some force as they were stuck in about 6-7 inches.
You are both confused and indeed excited.
JW's dont celebrate birthdays, and I really don't see what relevance the guys religon has to do with a perfectly good rant about a dumb
"tradition" of trick or treat.
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
fortunately we don't have the fireworks problems here as its illegal to let off or sell fireworks inside city limits
Can i move there with you? My car was damaged a couple of years back when a firework hit it 
I hate them and so does the dog
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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zilspeed
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:29 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
good rant,
this my second US Halloween and its truly awful. I will be leaving the house at around 3PM and not coming home until really late.
That would be my choice too.
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smart51
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 06:57 PM |
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Trick or treat is pure extortion. If you or I tried it, we'd be arrested. When teenagers do it to lone grandparents it can be quite
frightening. It shouldn't be allowed and I will have no part in it.
Halloween itself isn't even anything. It is the day before a Catholic Saint's day, which people don't even celebrate.
I'm all for fun and festivals. If you want some Autumnal fun, go to a professional Bonfire night celebration. Don't send your kids round
to knock on my door threatening to key my car if I don't give them money.
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Shadowcaster
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 07:01 PM |
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As I sit here writing this I can hear the rockets exploding above the house, funny as the date is the 31st Oct. The dog has gone into hiding so I
guess we will have at least another week of it to put up with.
Cheers Rich
The Roadster Blog http://richshaynesroadster.blogspot.com/
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Confucius Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 31/10/08 at 07:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
JW's dont celebrate birthdays, and I really don't see what relevance the guys religon has to do with a perfectly good rant about a dumb
"tradition" of trick or treat.
That's contrary to what a JW I used to work with once said - to the effect of "We don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, but we do
have exceptionally good birthdays!"
Forgot to add - I think that Halloween is a big marketing con... they're even selling Halloween decorations in the shops now - what's
next? Halloween cards?
When I were a lad, we used to have a party in someone's house - various games, sausage rolls, stuff like that. No monster make-up, or going
round bothering the neighbourhood. Still had heaps of fun though.
[Edited on 31/10/08 by David Jenkins]
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irvined
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| posted on 1/11/08 at 12:32 PM |
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This is one of the advantages of living in a country fully of tight-arses. No halloween extortion here, well i guess people might eat some pumpkin,
but no fireworks and no annoying little shits knocking at the door expecting me to give them any of my chocolates. (Being Scottish, that last part
always particularly niggled with me anyway...)
OTOH, was in Mexico last year for the day of the dead, it was awesome - a proper festival rather than a bad day in basra. Great atmosphere, lots of
nice food, and some rather cool parties. Oh and I seem to recall some seriously nasty tequila.
http://irvined.blogspot.com
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 1/11/08 at 01:06 PM |
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I agree with the fireworks. Why give people a license to sell explosives to any old stranger. If I have any more thrown at me at work I swear
I'm going to shove one right up someones arris! Sidewards
As for Halloween. I spray painted my wellies silver and put them outside the front door. Got the kids thinking that Gary Glitter might live here and
kept the cheeky sods well away 
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omega 24 v6
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| posted on 1/11/08 at 01:49 PM |
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quote:
Got the kids thinking that Gary Glitter might live here and kept the cheeky sods well away
LOL like that one. But it has a serious note as well. Kids knocking on the doors of offenders etc .
If it looks wrong it probably is wrong.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 31/10/09 at 11:38 AM |
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You lot sound like a bunch of grumpy old men, and that's saying something coming from me!
I don't agree with little kids being let out on their own to knock on strangers doors but when accompanied by a parent I don't really see
the problem. At the end of the day it's purely fun for small children who love to dress up in costumes. The kind of people that are into devil
worship aren't going to be stopped by banning Halloween celebrations. That said I'm taking our daughter to an organised Halloween evening
at a local National Trust property which is basically a treasure hunt in the grounds, with staff dressed up in costumes helping out etc.
The commercialisation is unfortunate, but inevitable in a capitalist society. Halloween doesn't bother me anything like Christmas does
though.
I will completely agree about the fireworks though, it's getting well out of hand since idiots start letting them off weeks before and weeks
after the 5th. I would completely back the requirement of a license to buy them. Whilst I'd be the first to admit it's fun letting off a
few explosives in your garden, it's literally burning money and you get a tiny fraction of the effect that a big organised display gives.
[Edited on 31/10/09 by MikeRJ]
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alistairolsen
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| posted on 31/10/09 at 04:49 PM |
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Halloween when I was a kid was some 3-10 year olds with parents or in small groups innocently dressing up and chapping doors. The gangs of teenagers
whove made a vague attempt at a costume and expect money or whatever and then egg your windows when you refuse to answer the door are a different
thing entirely.
I agree commercialisation of anything popular is inevitable, look at christmas, easter, football........
Fireworks are fun if handled responsibly, weve had decent sized displays at home when I was younger, but then when your nearest neighbour is half a
mile away its a bit different! Living in the city I've already had two weeks of gormless halfwits setting them off all day?!?! and night and Im
not looking forward to another week till the 5th, followed by the half price rush!
My Build Thread
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Rod Ends
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| posted on 31/10/09 at 06:41 PM |
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http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100015204/britain-is-sick-of-the-american-cult-of-halloween/
quote:
Isn’t there something equally revolting that we can send the Americans back in return?
Morris dancers, perhaps. They are – thank goodness – dying out over here,
but the Yanks are so enthusiastic about celebrating other nations’ cultures
that it wouldn’t be long before the streets of Manhattan were clogged with gurning ninnies with bells tied to their ankles.
And, in the meantime, perhaps I could suggest to our American cousins where they can stuff their pumpkins.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 31/10/09 at 07:10 PM |
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Perhaps we can give the yanks Wassailing (blasting shotguns off in orchards in the middle of the night) or maybe the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss...
that's give the fundamentalists something to worry about!
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