Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.

OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
kept on the other side of the Pacific.

Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
person or property.

Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!

Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.

--

st.helier

st.helier wrote:
> Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>
> OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
> something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
> kept on the other side of the Pacific.

If you ask _nicely_, we could also export you some KoolAid drink mix,
Diet Coca-Cola, MadDog 20/20 wine! LOL

>
> Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
> neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
> person or property.
>
> Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
> their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
> thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
> of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>
> Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.
>
> --
>
> st.helier

Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?

Dan-O (in smarta$$ semi-troll mode)

st.helier wrote:
> Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>
> OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
> something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
> kept on the other side of the Pacific.
>
> Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
> neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
> person or property.
>
> Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
> their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
> thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
> of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>
> Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.
>

Condolences, St. H. and fie on that humo(u)rless father! Over the past
two decades, we've seen the opposite trend here in the USofA: parents
have become so scared of their own neighbors that little Johnny and Jane
are no longer allowed to trick-or-treat on their own or in the company
of their peers, but now have to be shepherded around by fearful parents
looking for signs of LSD, strychnine and razorblades in their progeny's
ill-gotten gains -- or, worse yet, gated communities have a "private,"
stage managed, Halloween trick-or-treat in some central location . The
real tragedy is that, when media reports of doctored candy and fruit are
examined, it's found that there are only two credible reports EVER, both
of which have been characterized as copycat acts spurred by media
reports of urban legends. And so, another urban legend essentially ends
a part of the US lifestyle and drives us (no pun intended) further apart
from our fellow citizens -- quelle dommage.

Mark Lipton

"Dan The Man" wrote ......
>
> If you ask _nicely_, we could also export you some KoolAid
> drink mix, Diet Coca-Cola, MadDog 20/20 wine!
>

Gee thanks Dan!!! Just imagine the positive effect on our antipodean
culture!!!!


>
> Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?
>

Now, to this I take exception!!!

The Easter Bunny originated in Germany (circa 1500ad or so)

Typical!! Steal someone else's idea and pass it off as an American cultural
icon!!!!

(written with large Polynesian tongue firmly in *both* cheeks!!!!)

--

st.helier

"Mark Lipton" wrote ..............
>
> Condolences, St. H. and fie on that humo(u)rless father!

Hi Mark

OK maybe I overstated the "strong arm" tactics employed by the little
girls - in fact I do recall twisting my own arm!!!

But I am not exaggerating about the reaction of their father when I jokingly
suggested the wine (I mean I was carrying my glass when I opened the
door!!!) - Kathryn did find a couple of Bendick's Bittermints we brought
back from the UK.

I guess my point is that here is yet another "foreign" urban legend being
foisted upon us, as if it had some value or relevance, by commercial
interests, just to sell a bit more junk.

And us dumb NZers get sucked in to the hype.

Hell's teeth, every year on 5th November we celebrate "Guy Fawkes Day" - a
failed attempt to bomb the *English* parliament dating back to 1605 - some
40 years *before* the first European (Dutchman Abel Tasman) even laid eyes
on these fair shores and over 230 years before the British annexation of NZ.

Hey Dan - where is that 20/20?

I need a drink!

--

st.helier


p.s.

Mark, whilst in Provence, we detoured across the Montagne du Luberon, taking
in Saignon and Roussillon en route to Mont Ventoux to fulfil a promise I
made back in 1967.

We had a sensational day - picnicked in a (harvested) lavender field - in
that truly enchanting part of France.

Thanks for the recommendation.

A

in article , st.helier at
wrote on 10/31/05 11:04 AM:

> Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>
> OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
> something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
> kept on the other side of the Pacific.
>
> Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
> neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
> person or property.
>
> Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
> their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
> thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
> of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>
> Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.


Can't say I completely disagree with your sentiment but, having just
completed an evening handing out candy to about 200+ extremely well-behaved,
cute-as-a-button 3 to 10 year-olds (shepherded by their parents in 98% of
the cases; and with the parents most often dressed in costume as well), I
would tend to come down on the side in favor of the practice. In fact, if my
neighbors would serve Shiraz to the of-age trick-or-treaters I think I'd
have been out looking for a size XL Harry Potter suit myself.

"st.helier" > wrote in message
...
> Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>
> Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
> their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most
> valuable thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest'
> Shiraz out of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>
> Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.

LOL! Reminds me of the Coneheads episode on Saturday Night Live when Beldar
was giving the trick-or-treaters beer and fried eggs. :^D

Tom S

"Mike Tommasi" > wrote in message
...
> As for Big Macs and George, they are well established, there are over 1000
> MacDonald's in France and growing...

Not quite the same as here in the States though. My sister and I stopped at
one on the way to Lascaux for a bite. I ordered a cheeseburger and a diet
Coke, and ended up with a cheeseburger and a Kronenbourg!

I can assure you that would _never_ happen here in the USA (unfortunately).

Tom S

"Midlife" admitted...........
> I think I'd have been out looking for a size XL
> Harry Potter suit myself.


In my case XXXL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

st.helier wrote:
> "Dan The Man" wrote ......
> >
> > If you ask _nicely_, we could also export you some KoolAid
> > drink mix, Diet Coca-Cola, MadDog 20/20 wine!
> >
>
> Gee thanks Dan!!! Just imagine the positive effect on our antipodean
> culture!!!!

Your right, that might not work. For a start, the 20/20 would have to
be shipped as "Hazardous Waste" to comply with truth-in-labeling laws.

>
>
> >
> > Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?
> >
>
> Now, to this I take exception!!!
>
> The Easter Bunny originated in Germany (circa 1500ad or so)
>
> Typical!! Steal someone else's idea and pass it off as an American cultural
> icon!!!!
>
> (written with large Polynesian tongue firmly in *both* cheeks!!!!)
>
> --
>
> st.helier

We're good at stealing ideas, whether good or bad. It doesn't surprise
me if the Easter Bunny is a German invention - there are large numbers
of people of German descent in this country (especially my home state).

By the way, you could have mollified that crusty father by pointing out
that Australian Shiraz is typically low in residual sugar!

Dan-O

p.s. If possible, I will avoid shipping you Americans' tendency toward
obesity - I could just imagine all of your sailboats capsizing!

st.helier wrote:
> "Dan The Man" wrote ......
>>Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?
>
> Now, to this I take exception!!!
>
> The Easter Bunny originated in Germany (circa 1500ad or so)
>
> Typical!! Steal someone else's idea and pass it off as an American cultural
> icon!!!!

Of course, Hallowe'en originated first with the Picts and others (whose
first day of the year was what is now Nov 1), and was then given the
modern name by corruption of All Hallows' Eve after the Catholic church
attempted to subsume it. I think the only US addition is the paranoia
Mark mentioned .

On the plus side, it's almost Nov 5th, time to burn an effigy and set of
fireworks...

I think I will in fact organise mulled wine for the neighbourhood next
year. [We just had our first Hallowe'en in the new house, and with Aidan
at almost 3 and loving it; it was the closest thing to a spontaneous block
party I've seen in a long time, so even a cynic such as I was converted to
the redeeming value (if not the bad sweets!)]

Midlife wrote:

> in article , st.helier at
> wrote on 10/31/05 11:04 AM:
>
>
>>Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>>
>>OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
>>something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
>>kept on the other side of the Pacific.
>>
>>Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
>>neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
>>person or property.
>>
>>Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
>>their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
>>thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
>>of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>>
>>Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.
>
>
>
> Can't say I completely disagree with your sentiment but, having just
> completed an evening handing out candy to about 200+ extremely well-behaved,
> cute-as-a-button 3 to 10 year-olds (shepherded by their parents in 98% of
> the cases; and with the parents most often dressed in costume as well), I
> would tend to come down on the side in favor of the practice. In fact, if my
> neighbors would serve Shiraz to the of-age trick-or-treaters I think I'd
> have been out looking for a size XL Harry Potter suit myself.
>

Actually, according to Snopes, while there have been no true poisonings
(excluding non-random acts), there have been needles etc, though none
that caused serious injuries.
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/halloween/halloween.asp

In article >,
says...
>
>Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>
>OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this is
>something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
>kept on the other side of the Pacific.
>
>Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
>neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to my
>person or property.
>
>Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
>their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
>thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
>of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>
>Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.
>
>--
>
>st.helier

Oh count yourself fortunate. There are so-o-o many more things that the US
could have exported! BTW, I do not believe that you would really count Zin in
with the Big Macs, Cadillacs, et al, now would you?

After the wave of 5-10 year olds in my little neighborhood, we usually get the
older teens, and the parents, who WANT some of my wine! I limit it to ONLY the
parents, however.

Besides, we inherited the event (holiday, whatever) from the Celts, the
Germans, the Scandinavians, etc. so it is not *entirely* our fault. <G>

Hunt

In article >,
says...
>
>"Dan The Man" wrote ......
>>
>> If you ask _nicely_, we could also export you some KoolAid
>> drink mix, Diet Coca-Cola, MadDog 20/20 wine!
>>
>
>Gee thanks Dan!!! Just imagine the positive effect on our antipodean
>culture!!!!
>
>
>>
>> Next year, we'll send you the Easter Bunny, how 'bout it?
>>
>
>Now, to this I take exception!!!
>
>The Easter Bunny originated in Germany (circa 1500ad or so)
>
>Typical!! Steal someone else's idea and pass it off as an American cultural
>icon!!!!
>
>(written with large Polynesian tongue firmly in *both* cheeks!!!!)
>
>--
>
>st.helier

Now, which wine was it, that you recommended with bunny, or was that a hare?

Hunt

In article >, says
....
>
>st.helier wrote:
>> Yet another undesirable export from the USA has emerged in NZ.
>>
>> OK - I don't mind Harley Davidsons and Cadillacs and Zinfandels, but this
is
>> something which I place right alongside Big Macs and George Bushes - best
>> kept on the other side of the Pacific.
>>
>> Last night, during dinner, my wife and I were brutally accosted by three
>> neighbourhood terrorists demanding valuables, threatening endangerment to
my
>> person or property.
>>
>> Standing over these 5-6-7- year old monsters, hovering at the gateway, was
>> their Osama-Bin-Father, who was not amused when I offered the most valuable
>> thing I had to hand, a glass of 1998 Browns (Padthaway) 'Ernest' Shiraz out
>> of South Australia - humourless *******!!!!!
>>
>> Spoiled a very nice example of Aussie shiraz from a great year.
>>
>
>Condolences, St. H. and fie on that humo(u)rless father! Over the past
>two decades, we've seen the opposite trend here in the USofA: parents
>have become so scared of their own neighbors that little Johnny and Jane
>are no longer allowed to trick-or-treat on their own or in the company
>of their peers, but now have to be shepherded around by fearful parents
>looking for signs of LSD, strychnine and razorblades in their progeny's
>ill-gotten gains -- or, worse yet, gated communities have a "private,"
>stage managed, Halloween trick-or-treat in some central location . The
>real tragedy is that, when media reports of doctored candy and fruit are
>examined, it's found that there are only two credible reports EVER, both
>of which have been characterized as copycat acts spurred by media
>reports of urban legends. And so, another urban legend essentially ends
>a part of the US lifestyle and drives us (no pun intended) further apart
>from our fellow citizens -- quelle dommage.
>
>Mark Lipton

Yes, it is unfortunate that the "times in which we live," actually reinforce
the idea, that it COULD happen, so everyone becomes wary. In my little
enclave, the party still disbands to the neighborhood (behind locked,
monitored gate), so there is still some of the tradition. Besides, my Bulldogs
think that Halloween is the *best* night of the year, as they get to greet the
little ones. It is usually the trick-or-treaters, who are scared, but with no
basis, other than the media reports on vicious pit-bulls, of which mine are
not. Oh well, I suppose that I'll have to quit hanging hooks on the cars
parked at the local "lover's lane... "

Hunt

Mi e' parso che Mike Tommasi abbia scritto:

> this fad hit France 5 years ago, peaked 2 years ago and
> is still hanging on. You can buy pumpkins and
> paraphernalia at the local Carrefour...

Same as here.
Thankfully my father is traditionally-minded so, when they rang
the bell, he just opened the door, heard that never-heard-before
"trick or treat" and politely answered "No, thanks", smiling,
then closed the door. LOL
--
Vilco
Think Pink , Drink Rose'

Lucy was also very excited to see all the kids. Basset Hounds scare no
one.

"Hunt" > skrev i melding ...
> Besides, we inherited the event (holiday, whatever) from the Celts, the
> Germans, the Scandinavians, etc. so it is not *entirely* our fault. <G>
>
The Scandinavians? No.
But it has spread here too.. However, this year there were no one around,
for some reason.
The biggest difference seems to be that these kids don't need to have
parents along, nor do they fear being given poison or needles with the
candy. I sincerely hope that these aberrations don't come here too.
Anders

In message .com>
"DaleW" > wrote:

> Lucy was also very excited to see all the kids. Basset Hounds scare no
> one.
>
So was Noah, our Airedale, in North Yorkshire. Alnost like Lucy, he
too scares almost no-one — only burglars and other forms of low life.


Timothy Hartley

Vilco wrote:


> Same as here.
> Thankfully my father is traditionally-minded so, when they rang
> the bell, he just opened the door, heard that never-heard-before
> "trick or treat" and politely answered "No, thanks", smiling,
> then closed the door. LOL

http://tinyurl.com/byg7e

;-)
Mark Lipton

In article >,
says...
>
>
>"Hunt" > skrev i melding ...
>> Besides, we inherited the event (holiday, whatever) from the Celts, the
>> Germans, the Scandinavians, etc. so it is not *entirely* our fault. <G>
>>
>The Scandinavians? No.
>But it has spread here too.. However, this year there were no one around,
>for some reason.
>The biggest difference seems to be that these kids don't need to have
>parents along, nor do they fear being given poison or needles with the
>candy. I sincerely hope that these aberrations don't come here too.
>Anders

Oops, I thought that the custom of carrying burning embers from the bonfire in
a hollowed out turnip was from Scandinavia, hence leading to the hollowed out
pumpkin with candle (to signify the embers) in the US, as the turnips here
were much too small. I'll have to do some research and update my allusion (or
illusions in my case). Thanks for the corection. As for the safety of the "
trick-or-treater," I too hope that all will be safe and fun, free from some of
the problems, real, or imagined, that seem to occur in the US.

Hunt

Mi e' parso che Mark Lipton abbia scritto:

>> Thankfully my father is traditionally-minded so, when
>> they rang the bell, he just opened the door, heard that
>> never-heard-before "trick or treat" and politely
>> answered "No, thanks", smiling, then closed the door. LOL

> http://tinyurl.com/byg7e
> ;-)

LOL, luckily my father doesn't like weapons
--
Vilco
Think Pink , Drink Rose'