Happy Birthday W.A. Mozart II

Strangely enough German drivers rarely pick up English hitchhikers! probably scared of getting beaten up, or robbed, or both, especially with the football coming up and all; though I'm sure the fans would be most welcome in Norway, and no doubt virtually always get a lift to the destination of their choice, because we were such pals in the war, just like Russia! quite funny really, what with them being a full on Conservative, Catholic, noses in the air, Country and all, you'd think they'd be more wary of strangers really, wouldn't you?, innit*

No Skeletons In Our Cubpoard Oh No, We're Toally beyond reproach!* Arian Almost!

And I larfed*

CLASSIC VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a
fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the
cold.

THE END


THE BRITISH VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks
he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come
winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

So far, so good, eh?

The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know
Why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less
fortunate, like him, are cold and starving.

The BBC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper,
With cuts to a video of the ant in his comfortable warm home in Hampstead
with a table laden with food.

The British are stunned that in a country of such wealth, this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty.

The Liberal Party, the Respect Party, the Transvestites with Starving
Babies Party, the Single Lesbian One Eyed Mothers Party and the
Coalition against Poverty demonstrate in front of the ant's house.

The BBC, interrupting a Rastafarian cultural festival special from
Grimsby with breaking news, broadcasts them singing "We Shall Overcome."

Ken Livingstone laments in an interview with Panorama that the ant has
Got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike
on the ant to make him pay his "fair share".

In response, the Labour Government drafts the Economic Equity and
Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retroactive to the beginning of the
summer.

The ant's taxes are reassessed, and he is also fined for failing to
Hire grasshoppers as helpers. Without enough money to pay the fine and his
Newly imposed retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by Camden Council.

The ant moves to France, and starts a successful AgriBiz company [funded
by the EU] (although within weeks, his business is threatened with
compulsory purchase by the state unless he marries a French ant).

The BBC later shows the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of
The ant's food, though Spring is still months away, while the government
House he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles
around him because he hasn't bothered to maintain it.

Inadequate government funding is blamed, Diane Abbot is appointed to
head a commission of enquiry that will cost £10,000,000.00.

The grasshopper is soon dead of a drug overdose; the Guardian blames
it on the obvious failure of government to address the root causes of
despair arising from social inequity.

The abandoned house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders,
praised by the government for enriching Britain's multicultural diversity,
who promptly set up a marijuana growing operation and terrorize the
community.
THE END

Well done the Lille-Hammers, Gunners next week, oooooooh

Dear Fritz,

I don't think Norway's politics could in anyway be described as 'conservative' with a capital C, and yes the Norwegian general public retains an affection for the British which is not extended to Germans, for good or ill. The Polish position is much the same. History does not go out of the window in one, two or even three generations, for good or ill...

I think you will already know that Norwegians are pretty reserved in character, and often formal to a fault, and certainly not tolerant of hooligans, but there is genuine warmth underneath as I am sure you also know.

But most of all there are not many Catholics in Norway. The Established Church is Lutheran, and their Church is more part of the civil administration than in UK. Try to get buried in a non-Christain graveyard, and you will find it a beurocratic nightmare!

So not Catholic, Conservative or even fond of hooligans! I want to live there one day! Fredrik

Martin Luther was a bloody Kraut, Fredders me old bean, wunnee, though I'm sure you know that Son!" Are you going to live there before or after you give up smoking, you old Tory back-bencher you?

Rergards,

Fritz.

P.S. I refer to present perceptions of Germans, I was talking to my Scout Leader/Teacher friend recently (2 nights ago actually) who was in Lillehammer not so long ago with a load of young kids, and although his Norwegian Scouting hosts treated them admirably, many others didn't, (including many young kids) so please don't give me the old high & Mighty bullshit about Norway being any bloody better in this respect than any other land, in fact it's exactly this mentality that keeps the crap rolling,, innit. There's a very big difference between pride in Our Forefathers beating the Nazis, and Racism, and a major reason why they were not permitted to thrive by the rest of the world, was, er, Racism*

N.B. Not all Poles they don't, as well is the case in London, and the Yanks (Today) treat Poles 'generally' as a joke, and constantly make puns akin to the irish 'wittsisms?' told by the English, most un PC in fact:

"Christian Norway belonged to the Roman Catholic Church until the Reformation of 1537. A ban on lay preaching was lifted in 1842, giving rise to several free church movements and a strong lay organization within the Church of Norway. As a result, Norwegian church society became closely associated with a conservative Christian interpretation and an active missionary movement."

Just got this from the Daily Sport Website, Our Fredders, only for reference, innit

Dear Fritz,

Not wishing to pull this apart too much, but you condemn the Norwegians for making their preference for the British over the Germans clear, in respect of not picking up hitch-hikers [which, if I read it right, you are calling Racism], but not the Germans for not seemingly not being too affable towards British hictch-hikers? Maybe Germans pick up only German hitch-hikers and thus dislike all foreigners the same amount? I don't know, but I do know that you normally make a better arguement than that! I am not going to go into the history of the end of the War in May 1945, but I am sure you can look it up for yourself. Or even the very way that Norway entered the War, albeit having made its neutral possition clear before it fell, and in fact even before Britain declared War over the invasion of Poland. Interestingly, Norway was pretty ticklish about the possibility of Britain mining Norwegian territorial water in 1939, and so on, so the possiton was by no means as clear cut in favour of the Allies, as the revisions of history might have us believe either! But never the less, the invaders did not roll the Norwegians over without a nasty fight or even ever completely steam roller the population into submission. Maybe it was that fight and determined pluck on the part of a great proportion of the population that meant that their fate was in fact not so easy for them either to comprehend or forgive quickly over time. I am not sure it is anything other than a fear that it could happen again that still drives this attitude, even today [however regretable this may be, and which I noted already, above], and however unlikely we might view it here, as a still significant military power, in Britain. It is also a fact that Norwegians watch Russian politics far more closely than we do in Britain, for there is no doubt an element of the ultra-right nationalism there, which could well be very bad news for Finland, Sweden and Norway, let alone the Baltic states.

I certainly don't condone racism, but I certainly understand the Norwegian position and would not berate them for it. All the best from Fredrik

PS: as for the Church in Norway, the general population is similarly secular to the Britsh, so I don't see much radical fundamentalist nonesense coming from there in the near future! as for mssionary zeal, that is even further back than the War, so again I think you may be trying to have it two ways... Norway is no better and no worse than many other nations, Britain and Germany included, in today's world, but recent history still shapes attitudes and the lessons learned will not quickly be forgotten, I would think. It is a question of trust, which takes longer than you might think to restore, unfortunately, once breeched.

Fredders old Soak, my hitchhiker comments refer to a post a few days ago. I do not condemn the Norwegians as you say, and with all due respect I need no lessons in European recent history thank you old chap, wether it be related to Norway England or Poland. My German-Norwegian- children aspect you haven't even touched upon, and I don't expect you too either, as it wasn't when I first mentioned it some two years ago on here. You totally miss the point here I feel, we refer top today Now 2006, it may possibly have escaped your notice but I'm writng from the Capital of a united Germany right this minute. Having had the pleasure in the past of personally meeting a number of serving Norwegian, Polish, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Italian, etc, Officers (all at once) who were working professionally in the field together (NATO) I saw no problem with the past, just getting on with the present, and the future. German & French Army units (joint) have been a serious force for some years now in mainland Europe. I also would mention that the oncoming main takeover by the British in Afghanistan of the Yanks, and the secong öargest contingent that's been there for some years now, doing a brilliant job (namely er, the Germans)(which you wont often see in the gutter rags). Germans and British work excellently together, Yanks only happen to speak the same language). Not wishing to go into industrial and commercial German interests around the globe, including Britain & Scandinavia, I feel like the way England is treating its National football Coach, a damn shame & highly hypocritical.

Fredders we are talking instilled hatred (rasism here, continued through the generations)
and in this case taken out on young babies and children (NOW in this Century), I'm afraid if you don't see this through the blind love you have of Norway, you'll not ever get the full picture, innit*

Regards,

Fritz

Just because some Nazi moron liked Wagner, he gets a bad press too, as with a dear Nietsch to-boot innit.

N.B:
Because of Norways obvious geographical nature, although occupied, I feel that the scale of things happening there (Good & Bad) can in no way be compared to say France or Holland for instance (as said two days ago also for the record). I was talking to somebody last night about anti-German sentiment (old generation mainly on Crete) where hundreds of thousands of German's holiday each year. A long term mutual aqquantance of ours, had a father originally from Belgrade (he was a Chetnik), a man who I knew very well growing up in London, till the day he died. His understandable hatred of Germans then, was only superceded by his anti-Semetism, which I've also noticed amongst some (young Poles), older ones just wont admit to it, as don't Brits or Norwegians, and amongst these, this man's son as well, with istilled anti Turkish sentiment to-boot. Needless to say the majority of tourists to The Balkans are Germans (many living here too), unlike Norwegains, think about it! and I remind you again, the very reason for me originally coming to Berlin in 1981 was because of my Norwegian girl/Fiancee who got a job here, her mother being German, and her general unhappiness there, even though born and bred in Oslo, with a very influential and sussessfuil Norwegian Father, end of subject for me, as I'm afraid it goes in circles like most on here.

Fritz von Trondheim**

Dear Fritz,

The whole issue of German-Norwegian children is a scandal. I heartily disapprove of the racial victimisation of such infants. No I have no problem saying that! But I think that the Germans from Germany are big enough to stand up for themselves in the light of the historical facts, and of course I would never give history lessons to you or anyone else here. The facts are in the public domain and anyone interested (and people have a responsibility to be informed) can soon find the truth and even the conflicting version of what went on. I am not going to condemn the whole population of Norway for the actions of a few, however...

As for Wagner, it is what he wrote about the Jews and the Jewish race, and not the admiration of some Nazi High officials, that really troubles me. I suspect we may be straying close to the line, but it is reasonably easy to find out what Wagner wrote on the subject, and I just wonder if he might not have been better writing more operas, than cod-phylosophy. It might well have saved his reputation from the real shaddow, not from those barbarians who admired him, but from what he wrote down and published for all to read on the subject!

Anyway that is enough from me, though you somehow missed to answer the point about British hitch-hikers in Germany for all that.

All the best from Fredrik

Dear Fritz,

What happened in Norway under the Nazi regime was every bit as appaling as what happened in France or Holland, let me assure you! And an understanding of that might help you comprehend the current situation, which did not come from nowhere - the relationship of Norway with Germany was almost as close before the War as it was with Britain, which is certainly not the case now, and I seriously doubt if it will be for at least another generation. As for prejudices of other Europeans, I am not in any position to tell.

But to suggest that Norwegians harbour an unspoken anti-Jewish sentiment is nonesense. Again the statistic are all there, but the ones I would refer you to are: Firstly, how many Jews were sent to their death from Norway, and then compare this with France just to pick an example? In other words how keen were the general population to rid themselves of the Jew? Secondly, what proportion of the population was Jewish in 1939 and what today? Let me say that you can do the leg-work for yourself, but the Jews escaped from Norway and returned after the conflict. They were welcomed home and they knew it, so please don't lecture me too much on the hidden sentiments of a race you are not a member of even if you knew one very well, and possibly still do. 'Extrapolate from the facts and not the opinions of individuals,' might be my observation of that one, I am sorryy to have to say.

I am sorry to have to have become trenchant in the defence of my non-British half, but that is the problem with being half and half. It is not always well understood, and that can lead to difficulties...

Fredrik

Firstly Fredders, my Hitchhiker comment was a joke, based on the larfing gadgey who watched Germans waiting for hours getting nowhere in Norway (They wern't assumedly beautiful blondes I imagine?). Secondly as with National disgraces like the Australian attempts to assimilate aboriginie kids in white families (not very long ago), Canada, US, New Zealand, England, etc, etc, the actions of the few that
you so nicely put it, was/is known about by everybody (and all turned away) , just as everybody blames the Germans for doing too, in the Hollocaust, although they had a slight reason to fear, unlike todays Norwegian Public, or am I wrong here?

There's nothing wrong in remembering heros etc,, and every land has its different versions of the same events, unfortunately in UK today (for instance) most kids don't know the fucking name of the Prime Minister, or where Germany is, never mind the bloody finer bits of designer propaganda (used by all countries)*

innit:

Fredders get a grip mate (I said the scale, not the content) the numbers involved in Norway are Tiny in comparison, or have we missed something here?

I did not accuse the whole race of being anti-Semetic, don't be so bloody stupid John, I said as with my own Grannie for instance of that generation, anti Jewish commnts are not uncommon, and to be honest your diatribe is getting somewhere similar to Our Andys never ending protectiosism for his beloved, er, profession, ie, no critism allowed, even if was King Bloody Olav himself:

N.B. You're very likely right on the Wagner front, it was probably a bad example for me to use, I was thinking more along the lines of bad association, for instance names. Adolf was a popular standard German name, though I doubt very much id naybody would name their child so today (I think it's still allowed), and some I've met too, born after the war*. Other Monsters, such as Tito, Goebbles, Stalin, etc, shared Christs, earthy fathers name naturally, innit*

I always speak to my friends like that by the way John, and no I'm not one for gaining smarties points or have an agenda, as I've often said, just like yourself*

Judging by your language Dear Fritz, you are indeed struggling to keep a grip yourself...

So never mind that a country of just under 4 millions only had x number of atrocities then, because another country of perhaps eighteen times the population had 3x attrocities, as this somehow reduces the imact of the atrocities on the small country! Extra-ordinary! In fairness I would say that the scale of it and its long term effects will be related not to absolute numbers, but to the proportions of the total populations concerned. What surprises me is that the retreating Nazis got out of Norway at all!

Anyway that's it from me. Good luck, and goodbye from Fredrik

Dear Fritz,

I note that you have happily editted your last post above, since my reply. But as I said, that is enough from me here. Good luck... Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Fritz,

I note that you have happily editted your last post above, since my reply. But as I said, that is enough from me here. Good luck... Fredrik

At the same time I believe, of course the Russians were more lucky with their winter, a meer 20 million, püeanuts, innit*

Bon Soir Auch, as the Danish say*

Fritz

As a final comment on the anti-Semetic comments, I don't refer here to final solution stuff, I refer to the everday use and acceptance of derogatory statements, laughed at by non-understanding kids, aping their peers (Been there and done it in London as a child myself, until I realised), which don't get checked, and become the norm, and the basis for evil minded politicians to take advantage of, the minute hard times arise, and the outsider are to blame, whichever victims they may be, in the medieval witch-hunt, we all seem to love to hate?*

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Give the old one up - just for me...

Fredrik

Don't tell me you've gone off of Mozart as well just cos he's bleedin Austrian Our Fredders?* If I didn't know any better I'd think that you wanted to close your eyes and imagine it all away, as if it was never there Old bean!° I don't see any points of mine as being discourteous in any way on this thread, and you were free to comment too, as you so did, innit*

Remember I only have the freedom of movement of one thread, and one forum, unlike all of you rest with across the board priveleges, so unless, Our Adam goes and deletes it all for some reason only known to him, for it not being 'humorous or interesting' in his view, I'll start a new thread when, and if, I so desire, begging your humble of course me old Squire*

Regards,

Fritz*

Blond genug! Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Blond genug! Fredrik

Spelt with an 'e' in German Fredders me Old pipe, ie, 'Blonde'. I recall as a kid on summer holidays, looking for intact ancient clay pipes around Porchester Castle with my Cousins who lived nearby, innit.

F*

I did smoke a Briar later for awhile, until I set my bed alight one fine evening, quilts were a new thing to us then! burnt great though, much to my Mother's chagrin*

Damn, Can't even spell in cod-German! Fredrik

Well I can almost see through my slowly de-icing windows at last for the first time in a fortnight, must be them deep gusts coming in from the Urals, Cos they don't like it up em you know Fredders, they definately do not like it up em! Last day of freedom tommorow, then I start my new job on Monday 09:00 sharp, and strangely enough, its initial phase is actually related to what we've been talking about this evening, wartime hero's and all that kinda stuff, but you know me, I ain't sayin nuffin John!

Fritz soon to be paying even more bloody tax into the old excheqer, innit*

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Cork:

quote:

Originally posted by Berlin Fritz:
N-B. Where did do buy your expresso coloured diving goggles, Tarquers is jealous (once again)?*

Great picture John! but I'm sure your day job is far more interesting* I really don't wish to be sarcastic (Honnist) but I must wonder, that's all?*** (It must be really expensive?)

Expresso coloured?? must be your screen - innit?

What must be really expensive? Diving?

phil

'I don't know, I was really drunk at the time?'

Regards,

Fritz Von 'one more cup of coffee for the road'*

One of the Greatest songs of the 20th Century was 'photograph' By Richard Starkey*

Luigi! my Old Toker, don't forget the strong red, dry, Vino*

Fritz*

P.S. Since Our Mick got booted out of the old Pink Salmon Show, it's got so bloody boring, it's hardly worth even bothering with once a week, innit* But you know me!*

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Cork:
With the utmost respect to Fritz, his postings would be infinitely more comprehensible were they posted in the threads they relate to!

However, I guess posting in his own threads is part of his charm

Phil

Now Why didn't I think of that?*

Goodnight.

If every sperm is a potential life, is it equally murder to ejaculate on a pair of tits?

Phil

dear Phil,

I have to say I was looking for something other than that when I saw your name as poster here, but CRACKER old man for that! Fredrik