Martin

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT, [email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

    >On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    >wrote:
    >>In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually associated
    >>with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many European countries,
    >>Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th, which
    >>according to tradition was the day of his death. Moreover, Santa Claus
    >>did not wear red pajamas and black boots, but was in fact a 4th century
    >>bishop. (He may well have had a white beard).
    >So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >around Leiden on saturday.

Sinterklaas's non PC little helpers. I'm surprised Lovely Rita hasn't
repatriated them all.
--

Martin

David Horne

The Reid <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 09:16:38 +0000,
> [email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
> the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:
>
> >> Panto has to be a must do for Americans?
> >
> >They've got a clown as president, and the principal boy as secretary for
> >state.
>
> and the wheels and doors just fell off the comedy humvee.

Seeing Bush on the telly yesterday after being presented his failure
cerrtificate on Iraq brought the phrase "face like a slapped arse" to
mind.

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org

-Martin

On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 09:16:38 +0000, [email protected]
(David Horne, _the_ chancellor of the royal duchy of city south and
deansgate) wrote:

>The Reid <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 20:16:30 +0000,
>> [email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
>> the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:
>>
>> >> OH YES THEY WILL
>> >
>> >It's behind you!
>>
>> Oh, no its not!
>>
>> Panto has to be a must do for Americans?
>
>They've got a clown as president, and the principal boy as secretary for
>state.

The back legs of the horse are prancing around independently of the
brown front legs in anticipation of early retirement.
--

Martin

Jim Ley

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:24:51 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:
    >>So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >>around Leiden on saturday.
    >A creation of the Coca-Cola company.

So why did they create a black friend of father christmas only in
Holland?

Jim.

Steven Spits

"Jim Ley" wrote:

    > So why did they create a black friend of father christmas only in
    > Holland?

Not only in The Netherlands, also in Belgium. They are called "Zwarte Piet"
and they help Saint Nicholas to give presents to all children. Surely one
old man can't possibly give presents to millions of children in only one
night. Zwarte Piet is black because he climbs down the chimney to deliver
the presents.

Steven

- - -

Padraig Breathnach

[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

    >On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:24:51 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:
    >>>So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >>>around Leiden on saturday.
    >>A creation of the Coca-Cola company.
    >So why did they create a black friend of father christmas only in
    >Holland?
Can't help you there, Jim. I misinterpreted your post. I meant that
the modern image of Santa Claus was created by Coca-Cola.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED
My travel writing: http://www.iol.ie/~draoi/

Martin

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:38:48 GMT, [email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

    >On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:24:51 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:
    >>>So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >>>around Leiden on saturday.
    >>A creation of the Coca-Cola company.
    >So why did they create a black friend of father christmas only in
    >Holland?

Sinterklaas isn't Father Christmas. Father Christmas arrives in
Noordwijk tomorrow without any minority group support.
--

Martin

barney2

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Jim
Ley) wrote:

    > *From:* [email protected] (Jim Ley)
    > *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT
    >
    > On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    > wrote:
    >
    > >In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually associated
    > >with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many European
    > countries, >Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th,
    > which >according to tradition was the day of his death. Moreover, Santa
    > Claus >did not wear red pajamas and black boots, but was in fact a 4th
    > century >bishop. (He may well have had a white beard).
    >
    > So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    > around Leiden on saturday.

I saw him in the Hook on Saturday and heard he had been in Harwich too.
Busy bloke.

barney2

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Martin) wrote:

    > *From:* Martin <[email protected]>
    > *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:39:11 +0100
    >
    > On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT, [email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:
    >
    > >On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    > >wrote:
    > >
    > >>In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually associated
    > >>with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many European
    > countries, >>Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December
    > 6th, which >>according to tradition was the day of his death. Moreover,
    > Santa Claus >>did not wear red pajamas and black boots, but was in fact
    > a 4th century >>bishop. (He may well have had a white beard).
    > >
    > >So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    > >around Leiden on saturday.
    >
    > Sinterklaas's non PC little helpers. I'm surprised Lovely Rita hasn't
    > repatriated them all.

I believe there was an attempt a few years ago to make them multicoloured
Piets to avoid accusations of racism...

Martin

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:27:42 -0600, [email protected] wrote:

    >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Jim
    >Ley) wrote:
    >> *From:* [email protected] (Jim Ley)
    >> *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT
    >>
    >> On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    >> wrote:
    >>
    >> >In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually associated
    >> >with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many European
    >> countries, >Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th,
    >> which >according to tradition was the day of his death. Moreover, Santa
    >> Claus >did not wear red pajamas and black boots, but was in fact a 4th
    >> century >bishop. (He may well have had a white beard).
    >>
    >> So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >> around Leiden on saturday.
    >I saw him in the Hook on Saturday and heard he had been in Harwich too.
    >Busy bloke.

He had probably been deported
--

Martin

Martin

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:27:43 -0600, [email protected] wrote:

    >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    >(Martin) wrote:
    >> *From:* Martin <[email protected]>
    >> *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:39:11 +0100
    >>
    >> On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT, [email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:
    >>
    >> >On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    >> >wrote:
    >> >
    >> >>In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually associated
    >> >>with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many European
    >> countries, >>Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December
    >> 6th, which >>according to tradition was the day of his death. Moreover,
    >> Santa Claus >>did not wear red pajamas and black boots, but was in fact
    >> a 4th century >>bishop. (He may well have had a white beard).
    >> >
    >> >So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    >> >around Leiden on saturday.
    >>
    >> Sinterklaas's non PC little helpers. I'm surprised Lovely Rita hasn't
    >> repatriated them all.
    >I believe there was an attempt a few years ago to make them multicoloured
    >Piets to avoid accusations of racism...

No need for accusations.
--

Martin

barney2

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Martin) wrote:

    > *From:* Martin <[email protected]>
    > *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:34:41 +0100
    >
    > On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:27:42 -0600, [email protected] wrote:
    >
    > >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    > (Jim >Ley) wrote:
    > >
    > >> *From:* [email protected] (Jim Ley)
    > >> *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT
    > >>
    > >> On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
    > >> wrote:
    > >>
    > >> >In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually
    > > associated >>with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many
    > > European >countries, >Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on
    > > December 6th, >which >according to tradition was the day of his
    > > death. Moreover, Santa >Claus >did not wear red pajamas and black
    > > boots, but was in fact a 4th >century >bishop. (He may well have had
    > > a white beard).
    > >>
    > >> So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
    > >> around Leiden on saturday.
    > >
    > >I saw him in the Hook on Saturday and heard he had been in Harwich
    > too. >Busy bloke.
    >
    > He had probably been deported

<mutters>Bloody asylum-seeking Zwarte Piets, coming over here taking our
jobs and our women...</mutters>

-Martin

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:51:05 -0600, [email protected] wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>(Martin) wrote:
>
>> *From:* Martin <[email protected]>
>> *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:34:41 +0100
>>
>> On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:27:42 -0600, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>> >In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>> (Jim >Ley) wrote:
>> >
>> >> *From:* [email protected] (Jim Ley)
>> >> *Date:* Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:11:55 GMT
>> >>
>> >> On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:05:40 +0100, Tom Peel <[email protected]>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >In most English-speaking countries, Santa Claus is usually
>> > associated >>with December 25th and Christmas. However, in many
>> > European >countries, >Santa Claus = Saint Nicholas is celebrated on
>> > December 6th, >which >according to tradition was the day of his
>> > death. Moreover, Santa >Claus >did not wear red pajamas and black
>> > boots, but was in fact a 4th >century >bishop. (He may well have had
>> > a white beard).
>> >>
>> >> So who's the swarte pete chappy? There were lots of them running
>> >> around Leiden on saturday.
>> >
>> >I saw him in the Hook on Saturday and heard he had been in Harwich
>> too. >Busy bloke.
>>
>> He had probably been deported
>
><mutters>Bloody asylum-seeking Zwarte Piets, coming over here taking our
>jobs and our women...</mutters>

In Leiden it is "bloody asylum seekers illegally employed to deliver
newspapers for sod all at 5 am every morning, send them all home."
--

Martin

The Reid

On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 10:40:41 +0000,
[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:

>> and the wheels and doors just fell off the comedy humvee.
>
>Seeing Bush on the telly yesterday after being presented his failure
>cerrtificate on Iraq brought the phrase "face like a slapped arse" to
>mind.

if it wasn't a tragedy it would be hilarious. There's a strong case
for leaders going back to personal leadership in battle. The Falklands
might have been avoidable but at least we won.
--
Mike Reid
"Christmas is the Disneyfication of Christianity" Don Cupitt (theologian)
"Christmas is the christianisation of the solstice" M.Reid(self appointed expert)
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/happyxmas.htm"

David Horne

The Reid <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 10:40:41 +0000,
> [email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor of
> the royal duchy of city south and deansgate) wrote:
>
> >> and the wheels and doors just fell off the comedy humvee.
> >
> >Seeing Bush on the telly yesterday after being presented his failure
> >cerrtificate on Iraq brought the phrase "face like a slapped arse" to
> >mind.
>
> if it wasn't a tragedy it would be hilarious. There's a strong case
> for leaders going back to personal leadership in battle.

There's a strong case for Bush and Blair spending time in jail. They're
responsible for many more deaths than Pinochet ever was.

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://www.davidhorne.net/pictures.html http://soundjunction.org