Yep. He's stupid, right?
What are you watching on TV? Page 526
I'm not stupid, hence I can afford to skip a couple of days every now and again.
This is like when the nice person talks about doing bad things! I am shocked, Sir, shocked!
Quote: PhQnix @ November 27 2008, 3:47 PM GMTI'm not stupid, hence I can afford to skip a couple of days every now and again.
Your parents are paying good money for your education, Mr. Don't miss out on it!
Aww, is he at posh fee paying schoool?
Based on the nature of my parent's finances I doubt it's good money. I'll be fine, I haven't missed any school this term and I don't plan to either.
Quote: zooo @ November 27 2008, 3:50 PM GMTAww, is he at posh fee paying schoool?
No!
Quote: PhQnix @ November 27 2008, 3:50 PM GMTBased on the nature of my parent's finances I doubt it's good money. I'll be fine, I haven't missed any school this term and I don't plan to either.
You mean they dodge their taxes too?
My grandad used to work for inland revenue. I'm sure he'll be happy to put a few calls in.
Quote: zooo @ November 27 2008, 3:50 PM GMTAww, is he at posh fee paying schoool?
He wishes.
Quote: Aaron @ November 27 2008, 3:52 PM GMTHe wishes.
I go to a Grammar School, all the poshness and none of the money.
Quote: DaButt @ November 27 2008, 3:29 PM GMTI guess the holiday has a completely different meaning in <checks to see which country Dr Mato is in today> Ukraine than it does in the United States.
The truth of Thanksgiving
In December of 1620 a splinter group of England's Puritan movement set
anchor on American soil, a land already inhabited by the Wampanoag
Indians. As they were not prepared for the bitter cold weather, and
arriving too late to grow food supply,half of the 100 settlers
did not survive the winter.
On March 16th, 1621, a Native Indian named Samoset(SAM-O'-SET) met the
Englishmen for the first time. Samoset spoke excellent English, as did
Squanto ( SkWAHN TOE' ), another bilingual Patuxet ( PAW TUX IT) who would
serve as interpreter between the colonist and the Wampanoag (WAMP- AH
NOG')Indians, who, lead by Chief Massasoit (MASS'- A- SOY'- IT), were
dressed as fierce warriors and outnumbered the settlers.
The Wampanoag already had a long history with the white man. For 100 years
prior to the Pilgrim landing, they had encounters with European fishermen,
as well as those who worked for slave traders. They had witnessed their
communities being raided and their people stolen to be sold into slavery.
They did not trust the newcomers.
But Squanto was an exception. He had lived with the British, after being
captured by an earlier sailing vessel. He had a deep fondness for the
Europeans, particularly that for a British Explorer named John Weymouth,
who treated Squanto like a son.
Chief Massasoit and Samoset arrived at the colony with over 60 men, plus
Squanto, who acted as a mediator between the two parties. Squanto was
successful at making a peaceful agreement, though it is most likely that
there was a great deal of friction between the Native community and the
colonists. The Englishmen felt that the Native peoples were instruments of
the devil because of their spiritual beliefs and trusted only the
Christian-baptized Squanto. The Native people were already non-trusting of
the white man, except for Squanto, who looked at the Europeans as being of
"Johns People."
It was Squanto who then moved to the English colony and taught them to
hunt, trap, fish and to cultivate their own crops. He educated them on
natural medicine and living off the land. A beloved friend of the
Pilgrims, for if it wasn't for him, they would not if survived. The
Puritian Pilgrims thought of him as an Instrument of God.
Several months later the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims decided to meet again
to negotiate a land treaty needed by the settlers. They hoped to secure
land to build the Plymouth Plantation for the Pilgrims. The Native people
agreed to meet for a 3-day negotiation "conference". As part of the
Wampanoag custom or perhaps out of a sense of charity towards the host,
the Native community agreed to bring most of the food for the event.
The peace and land negotiations were successful and the Pilgrims acquired
the rights of land for their people.
In 1622 propaganda started to circulate about this "First Thanksgiving".
Mourts Relation, a book written to publicize the so-called "wonderfulness"
of Plymouth, told of the meeting as a friendly feast with the Natives. The
situation was glamorized by the Pilgrims, possibly in an effort to
encourage more Puritans to settle in their area. By stating that the
Native community was warm and open-armed, the newcomers would be more
likely to feel secure in their journey to New England.
What started as a hope for peace between the settlers and the Wampanoag,
ended in the most sad and tragic way. The Pilgrims, once few in number,
had now grown to well over 40,000 and the Native strength had weakened to
less than 3,000. By 1675, one generation later, tension had grown between
the Europeans and the Native Indians. The Wampanoag called in
reinforcements from other surrounding tribes.
Metacomet, heir and son of Chief Massasoit, became Chief of the Wampanoag
Nation. The English, who referred to Metacomet as King Phillip, started a
war between the two parties when they unjustly tried and convicted three
innocent Wampanoags of murdering an Englishman, John Sassamon, even though
it was well know and accepted that Sassamon's death was truthfully caused
by an accidental fall in a frozen pond.
Metacomet, furious and in despair, sought revenge for the deaths of his
tribesmen by declaring war. The settlers killed another Native man, hence
settling off the beginning of what is now known as "King Phillips War."
Many Native communities throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut rallied
with the Wampanoags, but the power of the English was overpowering.
Metacomet moved many of his people to New York. Sadly, his wife and
9-year-old son were captured and sold into slavery. Brokenhearted, he
returned to his homeland - and soon killed. His death ends the Kings
Phillips War and the remaining Wampanoags, and their allies, were either
killed or deported as slaves for thirty shillings each. This slave trade
was so successful that several Puritan ship owners began a slave-trading
business by raiding the coast for Indians and trading them for black
slaves of Africa. The black slaves were then sold to colonists in the
south. Hence, the Pilgrims were one of the founders of the American-based
slave trading industry.
For many of us Indians of present day, the traditional "Thanksgiving"
holiday is not recognized as the Pilgrim slash Indian day romanticed in
children's history books; rather it is a day of sorrow and shame,It is a
day of mourning for the fallen lives of those who were lost so long ago,
and shame for living in a land that honors people who used religion and
self-righteousness to condone murder, treachery and slavery.
For many of us in the Native community,"Thanksgiving" is a day to reflect on what has happened (past and present); to pray to the Creator that more people will know of the truth and show respect towards our fallen culture;to fast the body; to protest the commercialization of Thanksgiving; to share their time with the less fortunate in soup kitchens or shelters; and some take part in a family meal based on honoring the spirit of Chief Massasoit and his initial charity and intentions of the Wampanoag Indians — who first came to initiate a peace agreement between them and the
newcomers.
Celebrating the spirit of the holiday - without the propaganda that is
attached, is a respectful way to share the day. Understanding the true
historical significance of contributions to the day, as well as what the
consequences of the Wampanoag Tribe's efforts led to be, is even more
important. Without the assistance of Squanto, and the agreement for peace
made between the two cultures,it us unlikely that the settlers would have
lived so well or even lived at all.
Native people died so that the colony could flourish. They need to be
remembered, respected and mourned. With them, the Native forefathers is a
place to lay your fondness and your thanks.
It is with their spirit of generosity and charity that we all should place
our foundation for a true and honest "Thanksgiving."
Written by Linda Yellowbird & Morning Bear
* Read at the White House on Thanksgiving 2007.
I learned all about it from Christina Ricci in both The Ice Storm and Addams Family Values. 
The truth of Thanksgiving:
It is a harvest festival and has nothing to do with genocide - unless you want it to. Feel free to dissect every other holiday known to mankind and use them for whatever purpose you'd like, but realize you're saying more about yourself than you are about the holidays and they people who observe them.
Quote: zooo @ November 27 2008, 4:20 PM GMTI learned all about it from Christina Ricci in both The Ice Storm and Addams Family Values.
A weirdly hot ugly girl.
Quote: chipolata @ November 27 2008, 4:28 PM GMTA weirdly hot ugly girl.
She is teh coolest.
Or was. Before she went all Hollywood size zero on us. Silly thing.
Quote: zooo @ November 27 2008, 4:32 PM GMTShe is teh coolest.
Or was. Before she went all Hollywood size zero on us. Silly thing.
She'll look funny when she's fifty.
Well, most people do I reckon!