24 Days of Christmas
October 21st, 2008 by ThunderDragon
On the twenty-fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, a Parliament empty of MPs…
Archive for the 'Christmas' Category
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
December 24th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
And you can track him online here!
Dear Santa, Love Gordon
December 22nd, 2007 by ThunderDragon
What would Gordon Brown’s letter to Santa read like? DuSanne has a sneak peek…
Dear Santa,
My name is Gordon and everyone tells me that I am a good boy, apart from nasty people who are fibbing, and not doing proper fibs like what I do.
I don’t want much this Xmas because I got a good present already this year, but my friends are cross with me ‘cos I broke it. I was trying to look after it, honest, even my best friend (Ballsey, not the pretend one) says so.
I would like something called a ’spine’ though. Everyone says the head boy at school before me had one, but he wouldn’t let me borrow it. Lots of people got cross because he had one, even his mates, but it made him look cool. Can I have one too, pleasssssssse! …
Go read the rest.
It’s CHRISTMAS!!!
December 22nd, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Now it is Christmas, as I’m on holiday from work - for the next eleven days! Which I’m going to use to - apart from the obvious eating, drinking, and celebrating - to get started writing my We The People columns at the Wardman Wire [read a preview here].
I also thought I’d give this blog a bit of a spruce up for the seasonal festivities, hence the new header.
F****tale of New York
December 18th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
The BBC bleeped the word “faggot” in the Christmas song Fairytale of New York because they feared that it might offend some gay viewers. The offending passage goes:
You scumbag, you maggot you cheap lousy faggot, Happy Christmas your arse I pray God It’s our last.
This obviously and deservedly produced a hell of a lot of criticism from listeners and DJs alike, and the BBC has since backtracked from their absurd position. It’s hardly as if the word “faggot” was used as an attack on gay people in this context, or as if the BBC has not played some far more offensive lyrics masquerading as “music”.
The BBC have at least reversed this decision. But it is far more worrying to me that it could even be considered offensive, and thus worthy of being bleeped out. Political correctness gone stark raving bonkers!
It does fill me with some sense of hope for the future of society, however, quite how roundly they have been criticised for doing it. Long may this attack of common sense continue.
Christmas Shopping
December 15th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Christmas shopping, the busiest time of the year for retail outlets and the most expensive time of year for customers. And luckily I have very nearly completed my Christmas shopping, with all bar one of the presents I need to buy bought. And, unlike many other young people, I am spending more than last year [only a bit more, though, and simply because I am actually earning now, rather than being student like I have been for the last four Christmases].
Young adults, in the 18 to 24 range… plan to reduce their outlay on presents by 8 per cent, compared with two years ago, to just over £260 on average. Taking account of inflation, this indicates a double-digit fall in real terms.
That many young people are reducing their expenditure on presents isn’t really much of a surprise. Everything is so expensive nowadays! And the great and growing possibility of a credit crunch, coupled with the reducing availability of credit, is preying on minds - what happens if something goes wrong with the economy? Those who are very much in debt won’t have it easy then. Also, I think that many are now understanding the implications of having lots of debt, and the issues with credit, with the collapse and effective nationalisation of Northern Rock proving a case in point - even banks are vulnerable.
By contrast, people over 65, previously the lowest-spending group, expect to increase their purchases by nearly 30 per cent to just under £347.
The highest-spending age groups, those aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, typically those with most children, expect to increase their present buying by 12.8 per cent up to £490, and by 11.1 per cent up to £435, respectively. (The Times)
Elderly people are increasing their spending because this credit crunch matters little to them. They have few debts and usually own their houses outright, so they can afford to splash out a bit more.
Young people are also suffering from debts forced upon them by labour - Student Loans. It’s not nice to have that much debt hanging over you, believe you me.
December 10th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
Crackers are too explosive to be sent to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan?!
Hundreds of crackers due to be sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan had to be defused after it was discovered they were classed as explosives…
The British Forces Post Office website defines Christmas cracker snaps as explosives, banned on RAF aircraft.
Major Dalziel-Job… had arranged for the festive packages to be taken by truck from Edinburgh to London on Tuesday before being handed over to the BFPO…
[He said:] “The soldiers will just have to go ‘bang’ themselves when they pull them.” (BBC)
The British Forces Post Office website defines Christmas cracker snaps as explosives, banned on RAF aircraft.
Major Dalziel-Job… had arranged for the festive packages to be taken by truck from Edinburgh to London on Tuesday before being handed over to the BFPO…
[He said:] “The soldiers will just have to go ‘bang’ themselves when they pull them.” (BBC)
For crying out loud! They’re crackers, not bombs or dynamite! And surely RAF aircraft carry bombs, ammo and the like which are far more explosive than crackers could ever be! So why do crackers have to be defused?! Just absurd.
All We Want For Christmas…
December 10th, 2007 by ThunderDragon
… is to download classic Christmas songs and get them into the Top 40. The power of the internet strikes again!
This is why I think that the internet and downloads will make, rather than break, the music industry. Cheaper, more accessible, music means that people will be far more willing to spend money on it! I have never bought CDs because of the expense, but I will buy downloads - they are cheaper and faster.
