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I hate xmas. I hate xmas with a passion i normally reserve for drivers who buzz cyclists. I wish the whole thing would sod off for ever. Always have, always will.
I have 2 nephews, twins, now 16 yr olds. They are clever and geeky and do zero sport. In the past I have bought nice things like power kites, watches, bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones etc
My brother bought them the Poppies that surrounded the Tower of London, various Marvel Comic Book heroes Hoody's and T-shirts ( thats what they are into , comics ) The Poppies were sneered at, and they had been to the Menin Gate on a school trip.
All gifts are opened, evaluated for £££ value, accessesed for coolness then more or less instantly ignored and the mobile phone is picked up and texting resumes.
No Thanks, No Thank you letters , no appreciation of the time and effort and expense of trying to find something suitable ( no help is given from my sister , their mother) wrapping it up etc. The power kites have never been used, nor the blue tooth speaker .
So this year I am getting them the ultimate gift that keeps on giving .
For xmas 2016 they will be sponsoring an underprivelidged African child. Each month the child will write them a letter, reminding them of their very nice standard of living, and the amazing gift of xmas 2016 that they didnt receive.
Will they learn anything? I doubt it .
Will appreciate the life lesson? doubt that as well
Do I care ? nope
Why not instigate an exchange program? hoof them out of their house to do an exchange with the African kids, who you can take out power kiting?
Why not just give them a lump of coal, like the olden days?
I'm an orphan.
Any chance of a kite?
This is an excellent thread. Chapeau.
Rusty Spanner - Member
I'm an orphan.
Any chance of a kite?
Are you African?
No, but I'm a big fan of Humphrey Bogart.
I'm not an orphan but my mum dressed me funny when I was a kid.
Stick your kite up yer arse. Can I have the Bluetooth speaker or the wireless headphones? 😉
I once watched a film that was set in Africa.
Can I have the power kite and a board so I can go kite boarding please and thank you.
That must be so disappointing for you and I applaud your new approach.
Why not visit your sister and tell her and her kids you want to collect all presents from previous years; hand her a list telling her you will wait until she gathers everything together as you wish to give them to underprivileged kids who will show more appreciation than hers have.
You have no reason to be pleasant or feel awkward about it.
Let her and her kids know exactly how you feel.
Stuff the fallout.
I despise the type of ignorance and ingratitude you describe.
I'm underprivileged too.
No kite, you see....
Rusty Spanner - Member
I'm underprivileged too.No kite, you see....
But you're not African, therefore not worthy of a charity kite.
I'm very short for my age.
Ask anyone.
I'm dual nationality Indian and British.
Halfway between the two is Africa.
Just saying.
My family otiginate from Africa. You sound a right old miser with 2 spoilt nephews, I don't want a kite.
I use Lynx Africa.
Where's my Bluetooth speaker? 😉
I think you should sponsor an african kid for one of them. The other one can have nothing. You can choose which one to inflict which sort of Christmas misery on.
I'm African and live close to Rusty, I'd share the kite with him.
Monthly subscription to Razzle???
Good plan.
Between us, we're an Afro European four legged (I presume?) kiteless orphan.
Make a glass eye weep.
Ha ha.. You sound like an exagerated version of me OP. I have nephews too..
Hate the buying presents part of Xmas. Pretty much hate the receiving presents part of Xmas too. If the presents bit would just bugger off, the rest of it would be great..
Maybe they just think that you're a ****
Just spend what you would have done on their presents on a night out and snap chat them the pics...
Exactly what do you have to do to get a ****ing kite round here?
My suggestion fwiw would be to give the money to the African children in the name of someone who will give a shit and might just write back in an appropriate way and get the ungrateful nephews bog all.
By all means tell them that but I suspect from the op they'll not be bothered but at least someone benefits.
Am i the only one who doesnt know what a power kite is? Stil open to a gift of one though....
Exactly what do you have to do to get a **** kite round here?
Be a teenager who won't use it probably in a hoodie with a Spiderman comic.
I think the whole Africa thing is a red herring. You'd only get it wrapped around a rhino's horn.
Stevemuzzy it's a big powerful kite for prat-ing around with. Not great at stunts but good for generating lift that will drag a person or buggy or board along beach, grass etc. One step down from a kite surfing kite.
I have an 8ft foil (like a parachute on two strings) and it'll pull me off my feet on a windy day. They also make a really big bang when they crash into a beach hut at about 60mph...
I have nephews as well. I send money to charity for them and send them the receipt ( plus a £10 gift)
so these kites, then - still up for grabs?
Can I have one for my nephew? He's of African origin
I can deliver him pretty much any time and pick up the kite at the same time
Buy Rusty a kite you monster!!!
Only Africans get kites.
I'm glad I haven't got any nephews. The kite rejecting bastards!!
Now, if they were African nephews, Binners.....
acording to Richard Dawkins,"We are all Africans" not flew a kite for ages 😀
racist!
Ahhh the first Bah Humbug posting of the year, like the Cuckoo's call it heralds the change of season.
I don't know why any of you selfish buggers are expecting a kite, you'll not be getting so much as a stripey mint.
Surely it's all charity bikes for the African young ladies this year?
Bluetooth speaker for me please OP. I'll write a thank-you letter too.
power kites
Added to Christmas list. Ta.
Sandwich - Member
Surely it's all African young ladies this year?
Ta, adds to list..
Whhhhhaaaaaatt ??? 😯
Rule No.1 - don't buy teenagers presents without knowing [b]exactly[/b] what they want! 😀
"Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner?" Scrooge inquired.
"I should hope I did," replied the lad.
"An intelligent boy!" said Scrooge. "A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they"ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there -- Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"
"What, the one as big as me?" returned the boy.
"What a delightful boy!" said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck."
"It's hanging there now," replied the boy.
"Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and buy it."
"Walk-er!" exclaimed the boy.
"No, no," said Scrooge, "I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you half-a-crown."
Yeah OP is a bit grumpy
But whats a 16 year old gonna do with a tower of London poppy?
The sponsor a kid thing is quite good tho
I have a nephew who is 17 and will get whatever he wants for Christmas from me. He not a spolit little git and is capable of communication though so is not your average teenager.
I like your approach though, a lot of kids these days take too much for granted and could benefit from spending some time in a poorer place.
Excellent plan STM! Better start planning next year though...
[i]
"Walk-er!" exclaimed the boy.[/i]
Spelling?
Revenge: the spirit of Christmas
Revenge: the spirit of Christmas
Christmas Revenge is a dish best served cold......on a sandwich, on the 29th of December with a bit of cranberry.
I have a kite :).
It once belonged to an ungrateful teenager.
Ps Great fun...better than any games console... imo
Exactly what do you have to do to get a **** kite round here?
*snort* 😆
Dear diary.
Day 17,825 without a kite.
Master Scrofula has allowed me a 10 minute break from the gravy mine, to look at the sky.
He says our production figures are much better that our sister mine in Africa, so we deserve a treat and it is Christmas after all.
Oh, blessed mater and pater, I do miss you, and those wonderful, carefree, kite flying days we spent together before you were so cruelly taken from me.
Hark!
My master calls.
Farewell, slightly overcast, but perfectly windy sky!
Carry my love to mother and father.
I shall gaze upon you once again at Easter, unless my poor sisters and brothers in Africa hit a new seam of Bisto, in which case, adieu 'till next year.
Rule No.1 - don't buy teenagers presents [s]without knowing exactly what they want![/s]
FTFY.
I have many kites, bought with the money I saved from not buying presents for people I'm vaguely related to.
I was born in Kampala, Uganda. I therefore claim the kite.
Happy to pay postage.
This is Rusty.
He has access to clean drinking water and has been immunised against most diseases.
Every day, Rusty has to gaze in disappontment at the unopened box containing the GoPro that Lenny Henry sent him in an emergency aid package.....because Rusty doesn't have access to any extreme sporting equipment.
Unlike most children his age in the decadent first world , Rusty is unable to upload sick edits of his leisure activities to YouTube.
Just £3 a month would buy Rusty a power kite.
Kite Aid - Please give generously.
Thank you.
Kiteist!
I have kites, but it's raining here. How about a ticket to Africa to allow me to fly my kite in the sunshine?
#prayforrusty
singletrackmind takes no prisoners!
Just tell the nephews you've enrolled them into this kite up an african scheme but don't actually do it. WhatsApp them the occasional picture of a kid flying a kite in a jungle/desert/township. Spend the money saved on whatever takes your fancy - kites, c & h, africans, bikes ...
Get two blow-up dolls. Give one to the Teenagers, keep one for yourself. You sound like you need to get laid.
That must be so disappointing for you and I applaud your new approach.
Why not visit your sister and tell her and her kids you want to collect all presents from previous years; hand her a list telling her you will wait until she gathers everything together as you wish to give them to underprivileged kids who will show more appreciation than hers have.
You have no reason to be pleasant or feel awkward about it.
Let her and her kids know exactly how you feel.
Stuff the fallout.
I despise the type of ignorance and ingratitude you describe.
Fantastic !
And whilst shes reading the list remember to express an authoritative demeanor.
STW forum member in actually-quite-good-rant shocker.
I have equally thankless gift recipients in the family, who have previously received one or two well thought out Christmas presents, to which I know not what have happened but they bloody well did not even wing a one word text in my direction for.
Didn't even bother sending them an e-card this year.
Did consider sending the jpg of the "Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks you're a ...".
Teenage boys? Game of Thrones on DVD and a box of tissues?
They've already downloaded it using bittorrent, you won't get any thanks.
@cheekyboy; authoritative demeanour not necessary to make the point clearly.
You may have different view - but you haven't shared it.
I live in Spain, bits of it are in Africa... can I have the kite please?
You don't seem to think much of your nephews so it doesn't surprise me that they don't go out of their way to be polite to you.
Gifts are not given in the expectation of thanks but of making the recipient happy.
If someone had bought me a kite when I was 16, I wouldn't have used it either. 🙂
Amazon vouchers and the charity subscription would be the way to go I reckon 🙂
Last Christmas day I spoke with my sister about the mute twins who , then aged 15, didnt seem to be able to communicate.
" We are worried about the amount of time they spend on their phones"
So W T F did you buy them battery extenders for xmas you daft cow?
Wish I had never mentioned the flippen kites now. I predict a sudden surge in the online sale of bespoke hand crafted niche kites, made with Gore Tex fabrics and LED lighing arrays.
and, yes I need to get laid, its been a while , well years , well actually thinking back, decades, in fact so long ago I can't remember.
Still not buying ungrateful nephews an xmas pressie.
They can sod off to comicon without the £10 I stick in their xmas cards as well.
They can sod off to comicon without the £10 I stick in their xmas cards as well.
That's the spirit of Christmas 😀
[url= http://www.kiteworld.co.uk/acatalog/HQ_Mini_Rainbow_Pocket_Sled_Kite.html?gclid=CLrB3uus5dACFc287Qodfz8Hcw#.WEm3b-inyf0 ]For just £4.99 you can make a difference. [/url]
I'm not African, and I already have a few kites, so can I have a boomerang instead?
You don't seem to think much of your nephews so it doesn't surprise me that they don't go out of their way to be polite to you.
I think the OP thought quite a lot of his nephews at the start.
The little ****s would get **** all off me either with their attitude.
I hate kids me.
+1 essel: too much tolerance on display in this thread.
My kids are older than OP's nephews but if they had shown that attitude they would have been bollocked; good manners, a bit of respect, knowing when to say thanks - or is that too much to expect?
Should start at home and be continued at school or is that..........revolutionary, retrograde, regressive - take your pick.
Cheers Frank. I work with prisoners some of who are little shites, & most of them have little respect for themselves never mind anyone else.
It's a parenting thing, or lack of.
Essel, I volunteer with with two homeless charities and have worked with rough sleepers in the past; that's where I've seen 'real' gratitude and respect.


