The MWC Bar/Red Barren Bar

[Dansinger]

It was OK. Had a nice slow morning. Took my time in the shower, got dressed in sweatpants and a hoody, watched a film on Netflix, had lunch. After lunch I got dressed in my evening suit and the ex came to fetch me to go visit my parents.
Since Mum is quite sick, Little Sis and I decided to do the cooking, so I made two large oven dishes and a giant pot of poached pears. (Made everything in advance, so it only needed heating up just before supper.) Little Sis made soup and Belgian endive. We had quite a good time together. Relaxed.
We exchanged small presents. Mainly chocolate bars and boxes of chocolates.
Somewhere during the afternoon Son and Daughter decided to go upstairs with their cousins and have a private party of their own. Lots of noise and laughter was heard downstairs.
Got home around half nine, where the kitties were already waiting for their slave to provide them their meal.

[Noizchild]

I'm about to have Christmas dinner. Yum, ham!

[Amie]

Strange thing happened to me today - a woman referred to me as "black". Really really strange, because I don't look like someone of African heritage at all.... people usually think I am Latina (and even, compared to most Latinas I am pretty fair-skinned)

I wonder if this woman has never met a black person? She's lived all her life in extreme rural Yorkshire, so I suppose while it's unlikely, it could be possible (this came about directly after a comment about Meghan Markle... so maybe she thinks all people whose skin is the same shade as Meaghan Markle must be black?)

[Noizchild]

What do I want for dinner?

[Dansinger]

That is strange, Amie. I hadn't seen all that many photos of Meghan Markle yet, but I thought of her as white. So I did a search and looked at some more photos of her. I still perceive her as, OK, maybe not quite white, but definitely not black. Then again, I don't even consider judo champion Marvin De la Croes black. Just really dark skinned. Black to me is definitely darker than that. So maybe I'm just weird.

Anyway, it's getting late over here, so I'll just have a nightcap and then call it a day.

[Gyppo]

I've seen much darker looking girls around gypsy campsites without thinking of them as black.  Some of them are definitely Indian dark, which is no surprise considering the distant origins of the Roma, but no way would I call them black.  I quite like Meghan's colour now it has been brought to my attention, but have to admit I never really thought about it before..

When I was at school we had some student teachers from Nigeria and they were really black, coal black.  I suppose that compared to them lighter shades are just brown.

It may be that the person Amie met just has a limited vocabulary, so that anyone not traditionally 'white' must be black by default.

I remember when people of mixed Indian/White parentage were gently described as having 'a touch of the tar brush somewhere in the family tree'.  These people would vary from just looking slightly tanned to definitely dark.  But not black.

Gyppo

[Dansinger]

When I was at school we had some student teachers from Nigeria and they were really black, coal black.  I suppose that compared to them lighter shades are just brown.

Exactly.

[Amie]

I guess some parts of Yorkshire are so monocultural that they describe anyone not of European origins as black? I remember hearing occasionally Indians and Pakistanis described as black when I lived in Leeds many years (decades) ago. (and come to think of it, I was described as "half-caste" by some Leedsians back then - though they meant half Indian. No one in Yorkshire had ever heard of Armenia, pre-Kardashians, so I just let them run with it  )

Anyway, not a problem obviously, just a little weird.

[Noizchild]

I've felt tired today.

[Gyppo]

[Gyppo ambles in, looks at the jukebox which is already lining up an appropriate tune.]

Smoke On The Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M

Listen to the words, don't just headbang like an idiot.

Just like Deep Purple, all those years ago we have to find another place to play because someone has burned this place to the ground.  (Well, spammed it to death.)

Fortunately there is place, where you will find many of the survivors, none of the spam, and many familiar faces.  No traps, trips, or anything nasty if you click this link.

The party isn't over unless you let it die.

[Laura H]

Party on, Gyppo. 

[Noizchild]

This boring year's almost over!

[Mastafrank]

Sad to see 2017 go

To damned cold to do anything but sleep and play video games

[Noizchild]

Sad to see 2017 go

To damned cold to do anything but sleep and play video games

I was happy it's gone.

[DGSquared]

Happy New Year Everyone.  Yeah, okay, we're twelve days in but it's still new.




Not a single post in the Red Barren Bar for three days? Is everyone okay?


So . . .  what the Hell? Has everyone gone?