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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 12/24/2009 : 05:14:33
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Goats on Fire!
Link:
| Oh the humanity. Or something like that. Here's the cute goat in the town of Gävle, Sweden before the burning started. Maybe there's a Swedish reader or someone who knows more about the local culture who can fill us in on the history of the yule goat. Then they can explain why the goat keeps getting torched despite local efforts to protect it. Here's an unconfirmed filming of the incident. Seems a bit odd, but at least the local police haven't pulled guns on the arsonists, yet. |
Mmmmm, barbequed goat....
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 11:48:30 [Permalink]
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Thank you, Filthy!
Maybe our inestimable Dr. Mabuse can give us a little Swedish understanding about all this. Perhaps his semi-namesake is simply referring to a traditional Swedish Yule Goat burning when he exclaims, "GOATS ON FIRE!"? If so, that would seem to be a sane and kindly season's greeting. If so, we have harshly and wrongly judged Dennis Markuze, aka "David Mabus." |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
 Posted - 12/24/2009 : 15:31:53 [Permalink]
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There's no tradition as such to burn down the goat. It's just a very, very tempting target for arsonists and other mischievous people. Not only for those who gets their rocks off of watching something burning, but those who love the challenge to overcome the measures put in place to keep it safe.
This time, the burning was preceded by a cyber-attack against the security web-cameras set up to monitor the goat. Only after having disabled the cameras did the perpetrators proceed to torch the goat, apparently from multiple angles. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 20:47:41 [Permalink]
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Cool! I think we're seeing a fine new tradition aborning. If there's serious effort now by police to prevent the burnings, I suspect common sense, commercial pressure and public sentiment will diminish that protection to merely symbolic proportions. Meanwhile, firefighters should always inspect the goat installations to make sure that "if" they burn, they may do so safely.
By Odin, these are GOATS OF STRAW! They are meant to burn. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 02:30:44 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
With dozens of burned goats, I think that the word "tradition" now applies.
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I suppose...
If there are traditions by decree and traditions by practice, the Goats On Fire! is a tradition by practice. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 12:58:53 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Originally posted by Dave W.
With dozens of burned goats, I think that the word "tradition" now applies.
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I suppose...
If there are traditions by decree and traditions by practice, the Goats On Fire! is a tradition by practice.
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And an excellent tradition it is, too!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
More about the Yule Goat
by John Aravosis (DC) on 12/26/2009 11:00:00 AM
Chris wrote the other day about the Yule Goat tradition in the small Swedish town of Gävle. Well, I contacted the small Swedes I know and asked what the background was on this Christmas Goat thing. My blogger friend Björn dutifully responded:
Well, its a traditional thing to make goats out of straw. I believe that the goat had the same role as Santa Claus back in the day.
The city of Gävle decided to place itself on the map some 40 or so years ago by building the biggest goat ever. Of course, more straw means more entertainment to arsonists, and i think most goats have eventually been burned to a crisp. The amount of commitment the locals put into burning down this now heavily guarded - fenced up - goat is nothing short of stunning. There has been archery with flaming arrows, trucks breaking down the fence, and now a hacker attack to take out the surveilence cameras. Of course, the more guarded it is, the more people will want to burn it down. Deep down, all Swedes are rooting for the arsonists, and no one has ever been caught.
But it must be burnt down before christmas (24th), or there will be much disappointment. There is something strange to our national character.
But yeah, it has placed Gävle on the map alright. |
I have an idea; next year, let's torch the Santa! We'll build one out of straw about the size of Burning Man and party whilst the smegger is immolated in the righteous flames created of our annoyance.
The wise Swedes of Gävle should be an inspiration to us all!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 12/26/2009 13:26:19 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 14:26:45 [Permalink]
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| and no one has ever been caught. |
Actually, more than one did get caught. One year it was an American tourist.
<French accent>It is French to have affairs... it's American to get caught.</French accent> |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 09:23:15 [Permalink]
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When the goats decended from the trees and evolved into......
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 11:40:03 [Permalink]
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Men who stare at fainting goats on fire up in the trees......
All photographically recorded!
Where will it all end? |
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2010 : 18:52:07 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Men who stare at fainting goats on fire up in the trees......
All photographically recorded!
Where will it all end?
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Don't look now, Bill |
The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2010 : 23:59:25 [Permalink]
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Men who stare at the four fainting billygoats Gruff who, aflame, jumped from the trees onto the grass on the roof.....
Oh my God, my God; will it never end? Never? |
| Edited by - bngbuck on 01/06/2010 00:09:19 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 06:21:09 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Men who stare at the four fainting billygoats Gruff who, aflame, jumped from the trees onto the grass on the roof.....
Oh my God, my God; will it never end? Never?
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No, it will never end; for is it not written that the humble goat shall inherit all of the flesh upon the earth?
Oh, wait, maybe that was written about vultures. Or anorexic bacteria, I dunno -- I only preach this stuff, not catalog it.
In any event, what could be cooler than a goat?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 10:23:19 [Permalink]
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Filthy.....
Noble goat stares back at men who stare at four fainting, incendiary billygoats Gruff descending from the trees to graze on rooftop grass.....
Yes, there is no end. The humble Capra aegagrus hircus shall indeed replace Homo Sapiens as the preeminent lifeform on planet Earth. Why? The goatfuckers already outnumber the rest of us! |
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 18:40:33 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Filthy.....
Noble goat stares back at men who stare at four fainting, incendiary billygoats Gruff descending from the trees to graze on rooftop grass.....
Yes, there is no end. The humble Capra aegagrus hircus shall indeed replace Homo Sapiens as the preeminent lifeform on planet Earth. Why? The goatfuckers already outnumber the rest of us!
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The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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Halfmooner, this'uns for you
