a US import the UK doesn't need - trick or treat (1 Viewer)

[MickeS]

I wonder how Alf Garnett would have liked trick-or-treaters (if anyone knows about that character)?
/mike

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

quote: Vince, I too agree with your comments about community. One thing that also isolates people/communities is the internet. The only invention that says it brings the world together when in reality isolates us so much that even in your own household one person is on the computer surfing the internet while the other is doing something else. The Internet: Isolating the world, one modem at a time.[/quote]
Absolutely- I wrote a magazine piece about this potential back in 1994.
In the previous age, people often dealt with other folks with different opinions and social values because, well, you were forced to. Even if you were really picky about your friends, if you wanted any friends at all- you would have many with differing opinions.
However the internet opening up a global community- it allows you to share time with people with the same interests as you. Whereas it used to be impossible to find fellow OAR obsessive, obscure film collecting, Watts Per Channle quoting, sound format understanding uber-nerds... now there is a community with 20,000 of us!
It's very very easy to shut out the reality around you with the net, cellular telephones and other technologies. You can easily make it so that you never have to come into contact with anyone with differing opinions than yourself. You can happily shut out your neighbors and retreat to the likeminded.
And to take this all a step further, advertisers are famous for creating images which damage community. Advertisers want you to compete with your neighbors- to "keep up with the Joneses"- they want you to see those around you as competetors rather than allies. It's a subtle thing, but if you pay attention you can see the way it helps to shift the mood of culture.
My apologies to Andrew for hijacking his thread a bit- I certainly understood this point of the matter... however it was posts from my fellow Americans which suprised me a ton. Everyone seems to be hiding behind their drapes, talking about how their neighbors are all insane and evil-- when the truth is, you'll find once you get to know people that they're pretty much like you.
Stereotypes are real hard to hold onto once the person you are stereotyping has a name...
-Vince
[Edited last by Vince Maskeeper on November 06, 2001 at 03:15 PM]

 

[Julie K]

quote:
you'll find once you get to know people that they're pretty much like you.
[/quote]
Yeah, but I'll bet that I'm the only one in my community with a hippo in their living room.

Everyone seems to think that those of us who do not spend a lot of time interacting with the community do so out of fear or a sense of hiding. I am a rather private person much given to private enjoyment of a good book or DVD, but I don't hide behind my curtains or think my neighbors are evil.

We may not have a lot in common, but that doesn't make anyone evil. (Well, maybe my neighbor who got worked up into a good snit because I wouldn't chop off part of my roof to suit him, but he's a special case.)
There's also a matter of time. I work fulltime, commute, have to not only do the traditional 'women's work' of house keeping, but also the traditional 'men's work' of home and lawn maintenance and car care. It's hard to find time to do all that, and my own entertainment activities, and spend time with neighbors.
Of course, hopefully someday I can buy a nice chunk of land in the middle of nowhere so that I can retire there and be a properly grumpy old fart

(Well, actually I want 5 acres on the outskirts of Tucson. But I'm serious about the grumpy old fart bit. Judging by some of the replies here, I'm sure to be the envy of my grumpy and cranky peers.)
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My DVDs
"Some people think I'm over-prepared, paranoid...maybe even a little crazy. But they never met any pre-Cambrian life forms, did they?"
[Edited last by Julie K on November 06, 2001 at 05:06 PM]

 

[Kirk Gunn]

I'm fortunate to live in a decent community that loves halloween. All the kids gather at our recreation lot around 5:30 for hot dogs and soda while half the parents partake of "spirits", and the other half are home preparing.
Then the kids split into groups and head out. We were done by 7:30 when the parents had to stagger home.
The best costume: Herb, the middle-aged balding parent.

 

[Bill Slack]

I think Halloween is fine. It was great when I was little. I've never given out candy cause I'm still cool enough to be going to Halloween parties and gawking at cute girls and skimpy costumes, but...
Once that is ripped away from me, I'll be happy to give out candy to the little tykes. Around here, so long as your front light isn't on, they don't even knock. That's how it was where I grew up 100 miles west of here as well. Maybe they're a bit more aggresive in other parts of the world?

 

[chris_sharpe]

Halloween bites. This year I went to my parents house (needed to do laundry

) and a the first few kids looked in there bag after I gave them a candy each and said " oh that's it?"
First the candy is free
Second I was genuinely pleasant to the little (insert four letter word)'s
and Third the candy is FREE!
I used to enjoy Halloween but after seeing the same store bought costume for the 25th time my pleasantness was fading but I did what I could to let the kids enjoy the night. As the night wore on there were less and less kids and the folks and I had eaten what was left of the candy so I turned the porch light off. Then about 15 min later the doorbell rang I went to answer but then thought no the light is off forget it. And from outside in a quiet voice I hear "We can see the lights c'mon open up." That was the last straw, I yelled through the closed door "NO CANDY GET LOST" and then of course the tell tale thwack of eggs on a wall. Then at my neighbor who just happens to be my 85 year old Grandmother I hear her yelling at some kids to get off her porch and the kids responding back with "Just give us something and we will leave!" I went over to discuss these kids treatment of my Grandmother they responded with the same respect they showed her. But fortunately these kids', about 10-12 years old, parents were there doing nothing!
Now this might be an isolated incident that shouldn't take away from the fun for the "cute little kids"

. But with all the fireworks and kids out causing s**t is it really a good idea to keep up with this "holiday" that has no real meaning anymore?
If parents want to have Halloween fun throw a party for the kids they will still have fun and there won't be a chance for the little s**ts out there to cause any problems.
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MY POWER ANIMAL TOLD ME TO SLIDE.
MY DVD LIST(SILENTBOB96)

 

[Janna S]

Pumpkins here are vandalized (i.e. eaten) more by moose than by kids. I like putting pumpkins out for that reason. I just hope we don't someday end up with a "don't feed the animals" ordinance to prohibit this. Sometimes moose scare the bewitches out of little kinds and their supervising parents, which is also pretty funny (as long as no one gets hurt). I'm basically thumbs up on Halloween, except that everyone brings their leftover candy to work the next day . . . . .