Happy Hogmanay!

It's a long story......Have a beer.   

Dave's got an inexhaustible supply stored up.

I wish I had a spare head   

What does Hogmanay mean anyway? Is it, Hog.Man.Yay! pig poking stuff?   

Um, noone knows, lost to the mists of time, its possibly a mix of Norse and Gaelic words and ideas, or might even have some French derivation.
Certainly we still keep some of the Norse additions- like fire ceremonies.

Good old Dave ! He never lets us down ! He's been very prolific thru the entire year ! If he pickled each one, in a jar, imagine what his cellar would look like ? a gastronomic museum of incredulous veggies ! A home for all the lost & lonely, the waifs & strays of the Vegetable plot & compost heap !

I wonder what Dave and Orwell's search history on the internet looks like.... On second though, better not think about it.

 

Oh! I have to share! Yesterday (as we were going out to fire of some fireworks) I saw on muted TV Robbie Williams in a suit, inflated like the blueberry child in Willy Wonka floating above a large audience, with a lot of people and kids dressed like they were in Les Mis or Oliver Twist standing on the stage below and behind, singing.

I PRAY I will never find out what was really going on, because it was fantastic.

If you know, don't tell me. I may never forgive you.

Were you sober or drunk?   

I was sober, but I did blink and asked myself the same question.

I am rather glad to hear you were sober, given you were going to set fireworks off. I've done that drunk, using a bit of drain pipe as a shoulder mounted rocket launcher- I wouldn't advise it, not if your attached to your eyebrows among other things!   

I remember fireworks when I was very young. Like hot Ozhobbitstandian sun on your back sixteen hours a day back then fireworks were harmless.   

We celebrated 'Cracker Night'*  --- which I assume now was something to do with Guy Fawkes. I remember, as about a ten year old, setting off a fire cracker in a glass milk bottle. It was what was called a 'Thruppeny Banger." It was probably about as powerful as a stick of dynamite.

Oh they were the days! Oh you guys --- you've brought back such delightful dangerous memories!   {{{Kids are far too protected nowadays --- thank Gawd!}}}



*Curious tradition, really, as I had no idea why we had it or what it was about, and when fireworks were banned, the tradition died out instantly, it's passing barely noticed. I wish Christianity (and other pernicious superstitions) could so easily be forgotten.     Just saying.  

Come to think, we Euro-Ozhobbits - having very little National History - have poor regard for cultural traditions generally. Some still hold onto ancient Euro Traditions (like God) but most of us are Heathens. Eru bless Ozhobbitstan the Shallow!

Never realized until now how refreshing that is. And, to think, for many many years we have suffered under what we call "The Cultural Cringe" (which means, basically, we never had a Culutre of our Own, just lots of borrowed ones, and we were disquieted  and embarrassed by it). We didn't even have Founding Fathers per se (neither Religious nor Intellectual) like in other New Democracies like America. We just had Troopers and Convicts and Social Amnesia in regards to the Aboriginals (who still don't exist - or shouldn't even if they do - as that would be embarrassing - if not worse)(apparently)... Anyway, I'm waffling.....

But insightfully waffling.   

you have Kylie

I might be the only pseudo-intellectual* Ozhobbit who actually admires Kylie.



* There are no actual intellectuals in Ozhobbittan (though some think they are). It is, on reflection, one of our greatest strengths as a people. No Bertrand Russell's, no Mahatma Ghandi's, no Nelson Mandela's, no Descarte's, no Da Vinci's, no William Wallaces'*.... we are Free of Great Thinkers! It's all pies and sauce and sheilahs down here!  


*William Wallace - I assume - was what one calls a Scottish Intellectual.  

William Wallace - I assume - was what one calls a Scottish Intellectual. - Orwell

Wallace was, as one historian put it, 'like the one guy who never knows when the parties over and wont go home and insists everyone else stay for one more drink'

Still, the 73rd and 102nd Regiment of fot isn't too bad as far as unsuitable founding fathers go I guess.

Weren't there a lot of Highlanders in them too.    

Pettytyrant101 wrote:William Wallace - I assume - was what one calls a Scottish Intellectual. - Orwell

Wallace was, as one historian put it, 'like the one guy who never knows when the parties over and wont go home and insists everyone else stay for one more drink'

Maybe he should be up for Ozhobbitstan Founding Father nomination?  Sounds like one of them by that description.

I don't think you read my post about our Euro-borrowings and our Cultural Cringe, Lance... We're over claiming other people's intellectuals, much as I admire William's sensory intllectual capacity, we know him as the 'Aristotle of the North' down here. Great Man. Ock! But never fear, we have Sport. Pound for pound we are the Greatest Sporting Nation on Earth.  It's all the sunshine, clean air, and Freedom from too much deep thinking ,you see.  

Pound for pound we are the Greatest Sporting Nation on Earth. It's all the sunshine, clean air, and Freedom from too much deep thinking ,you see- Orwell

Professionals at arsing around  

Professional Homosexual Sportsmen? {{{Fooking Scottish intellectuals. Never know what they're getting at!}}}

And you're better than U2 apparently.   

Oh Hamish and Andy. What we call Great Intellectuals. {{{Sadly, very poor at Sport}}}

I actually stumbled across Hamish on Thank God you're here. And he among other people are very good on it. Not sure I think the double act stuff is as funny, but sometimes it can be good.

Sports? Yeah, not really.