Christmas already

crisp wrote:And now Black Friday another american import we could do without. How's organising their thanksgiving meal?

and a very British answer to Black Friday - Civilised Saturday..

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/20/bookshops-launch-civilised-saturday-as-antidote-to-black-friday

Sounds ideal Paulmold

crisp wrote:Just wanted to say how disappointed I am that there have been no grumpy comments for almost a month, come on are we all cheering up, surely not.

Decided I had better start one, Christmas in the shops already, adverts on the telly. What is it with an old man in the moon? and just how are balloons meant to get there? And how can any telescope be that good?

I know its make believe but what is it advertising and why?

I saw my first Christmas tree in a garden centre this year..........at the end of August 


In relation to the John Lewis ad, I was just about to say something rather rude when it came on the other night, except it wasn't.  It was actually rip-off version of it from Aldi, brilliant 

Highlight of the New Year...... all the christmas trees in the skip at the recycling centre, rejoice in the knowledge so many people have paid so much money to have a dead tree drop needles all over the carpet that they will still be finding in June.

Now let's all sing
"While shepherds washed their socks by night" .... c'mon you know the words!

Nah lets sing "Round John Virgin" instead

Hi there,

My favourite is the tale about the kid that came back from Sunday School and told his Mum that they had been singing a Christmas carol about a cross-eyed bear called Gladly!   


How about the Sunday School that each week handed out a small leaflet which illustrated in graphic detail one of the Ten Commandments.

After seeing the scene of murder depicted on week six, one mother wondered how they were going to illustrate the seventh commandment "You shall not commit adultery!"

It was something of an anti-climax when her child returned from Sunday School waving the seventh card ...

... and showed her the illustration of a man pouring water into a milk churn!  

Best regards,

I thought adultery only applied to adults.

Learnt that the best way of teaching that commandment was to follow on and say it was stealing someone else's love.

Made discussions with younger children easier!!

Hi there,

Adult is derived from the Latin "adultus" which in turn is from "adolescere" - grow to maturity.

Adulterant, adulterate, adulterer, adulterine, adulterous, and adultery are all derivatives from the Latin "adulterare" - to corrupt, to debase, to alter or to change.

Thankfully, I have never had to engage with young children in an explanation of the Ten Commandments.

I was even lucky to have just finished a night-shift when my daughter, then aged seven, asked over the breakfast table where babies came from.

As sensible modern parents, my wife and I had agreed that whenever the question was asked we would sit down with the children (our son was aged nine at the time) and explain the facts of life.  We looked at each other and realised that "now" was the time to carry out our plan.

My wife of the time (an ex-nurse) launched into the explanation ...  

... and I went to bed!!  

Best regards,