RockySpears

With respect to b), our garage was broken into a couple of years back, they took a small chainsaw, orange juice, washing up tablets, tinned food and packets of pasta we keep in a cupboard out there. They were not looking for profit, they were looking for food. Let that sink in. People in the UK feel they need to steal FOOD. Was this not how the French Revolution begann? RS

I have to believe there is hope. I have to! But looking at the current situation, our laws have just become a jumble of nonsense, comprehensible by only a few, and then only after years of training and experience. The law should not be like that, it is almost always obvious who the bad guy is and what he has done. Having served Jury Service, I am astounded by some peoples attitudes, in one case a fellow juror did not want to find a guy guilty of rape, DESPITE the overwhelming evidence, both forensic and witnessed, her reasoning was "What if I am wrong?" She could not even trust her own judgement. If people do not even trust themselves and have belief in their own convictions, what chance do we have? Cases just seem to take far too long. I am all for a fair trial, but if it goes on for months, how are you, as a juror, expected to remember the finer points from 16 weeks ago. Not to mention the fact that if you are self employed tough, your business goes under. You can get away with refusing once, my wife has for exactly this reason, but you pretty much have to take the next service call. The system is not fractured, it is bloated to hell, RS

This ⬆️ + 100 RS

No one should have to break the law to show others who is breaking the law. It is all a mess sadly and as has been said already there is probably no fixing it, RS

By whose definition is looking up a ladies skirt with a camera not "Voyeurism"? How different is it from peeking in a bedroom window and I'm sure that is covered. The law is too complicated if these two things are not treated the same, RS

"Off-Topic" keeps reminding me that I am not the only one thinking like this. I scour "Events" hoping for Durham/North Yorks events, mostly in vain. Maybe I should organise one, something simple like a clay shoot. http://teesvalleytargetsports.doomby.com/ have a couple of throwers, maybe they would lend them out for a donation. Then all we need is a field, which I suspect is the hard part. Reading "Trading post" makes me sad we don't have a Wabbitbosher here, mind you, I would have more guns than I could use. Not a bad thing, unless the wife looked in the Bank. ? I have been very late to shooting and seem to have missed the halcyon days of pistols, open countryside and a less terrified public. One day I will get out and bravely defend the peas from the pigeon hordes, but I don't think we grow peas around here, RS

Do we not have laws on voyeurism already? Do we need a law for every single act? take using mobile phones while driving: Why have a new new law? Is it not "driving without due care and attention"? Maybe they need to keep making new laws to justify their jobs. Gun laws should be: "Do not shoot any one or any thing that you do not have a legal right to shoot. Do not shoot in an area where is could harm others or their property." Penalty - Min. 5 years, no upper limit. Done, RS

.. and still there is crime? So having lots of coppers is not the solution? It basically comes down to the fact that if criminals want to, they will. They do not fear capture or punishment. Maybe more cops on the beat gets a faster response, but it seems to do little to actually prevent crime. We have crime because we have criminals. What we should NOT have is a second time around criminal. One strike and you are out, that is probably the only way to get this sorted. I don't mean locking them up at our expense either, RS

Wow!

One minute there was a graffiti piece, now there is not? RS

My question was more aimed at this bit ⬆️ We may all think the coppers are not doing enough, and want "better" policing, but we have never invited a Police State. I cannot think of another country that has done this either, at least, not one where the Police State was not already in force, RS

An astute observation sir! When, approximately, was this observed to happen? RS

"Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" Not even Chrchhill thought Democracy was grteat, but he did think it the best system so far. Our challenge really is to find the next "least worst" form of rule. Currently it seems those that have a single ruler, for an extended period of time, that seem to be doing rather well. For all its faults, China seems to be doing well, how long that continues remains to be seen. Russia too seems to be in favour with many, Putin is lauded by many for "standing up to the West". Syria is a prime example of a Western invasion that has been thoroughly repulsed because Russia stepped in to aid a "Democratic country". Sadly Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen etc etc do not have Democratic regimes, so obviously the West stepped in to save them. That went well, RS

You mean I pay for all your free stuff? Show me the free electricity, I want some. Why no car tax? Don't you use the road? Is your vehicle not heavier than the average car and therefore more damaging? Why no congestion charge? Does you car not congest the roads? You live off us, your car lives because we, the taxpayer, pay for your car. No you are not green, you are a freeloader on our taxes, RS

Large scale adoption of EVs is not going to happen, probably never. 1) Electricy production would need to be ramped, but no one is building power stations bar Hinkley point. Things are tight as it is thanks to Wind and Solar sucking up all the demand. Except when they can't: https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/beast-from-the-east-exposed-our-energy-failings/ 2) Approx. 30% of our housing stock is terraced houses. Tell me where the charging points will be? Oh, and there are two and three cars at many addresses. 3) Storing all that electricity in one place (just between your legs) is just dammed dangerous. You can put a petrol tank out of immediate danger zone, but electric cars are, for the most part, one big battery storage. I would be happy to drive electric, but whilst the batteries are huge and the supply of power is so limited, it is not happening. RS

Hydrogen is a non-starter: https://phys.org/news/2006-12-hydrogen-economy-doesnt.html ... and does any one want to calculate the cost of conversion of existing systems? The fossil fuels work just fine and are doing no harm, whilst keeping the World turning. If diesel were so bad, then how come there are so many old **** around from a time when EVERYTHING gave out more particulate, poisonous gas, CO2 etc etc? The climate changes, because, well, Ice Ages for one. There are NO Climate Change "Deniers", just Climate realists, RS

Yes, but the point being - Guns - Because bad people do bad things, the Government punishes the innocent. Let's see them do the same to those with "legitimate" mopeds and see what the papers have to say about it, RS

Brasso and elbow grease it is then, Cheers, RS

Does it matter what sort of glass? I have a convertible that puts the lid into the boot, but over time I think it has scuffed the carpet in the boot. I have stopped futher scuffinf with double-sided tape to keep the carpet low, but wonder if I could get the marks ot of the rear window. Tthis would be tempered glass and not house window flat glass, so I was wondering if it made a difference to what I might use to tidy the glass up? Thanks, RS PS No need for any comments on the car. OH and I enjoy whizzing around the countryside with the top down, even when it is cold, so long as there is no rain, the top is down. Still room for small suitcase and bottles and picnic in the boot too.

Good point. ? But I think the extra 11 million have decided they do not need policing, so we keep our share of the coppers ☺️ RS

Oh, by the way, there are more officers now than there were in the 70's: https://fullfact.org/crime/police-officer-numbers-have-fallen/ RS

sadly I see none of those options as being "effective", Jeremy aside they are all centrists with a vested interest in the status quo, RS

OK, image search for moped crime: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/20/17/477B645500000578-0-image-a-1_1513790638580.jpg England and Wales population is 86% White: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/articles/ethnicityandnationalidentityinenglandandwales/2012-12-11 30% in the gang above are "white", but that should be 90% (Ok 86%) if there was no propensity to be "more" criminal in certain groups. So the others are 3 times more likely to be criminal. Of course, this is stats so we could say that the "not whites" are 14% of the population, but represent 70% of this gang and so are (70/14 = 5) 5 times more likely to be criminals. Good start for Vince's defence, either way. RS

The wife is leaving me, sadly only for the long weekend. Apparently I was told, but didn't listen. From Sat. 26th, through Tuesday 29th I am at a loose end. I thought I was cutting the grass, thinning the onions etc. Any one near Middlesbrough/Durham area got anything going? I am an outdoor, real (not clay) pigeon noob looking to see if an unexpected blessing can be made more heavenly. A pie an a pint one evening, maybe. Just a walk in the wilds perhaps. Just asking. Yes I can go into the garage and entertain myself, or load up some .357, but this is a gift, if any one out there has some free time, shooting, or otherwise, it would be great to meet more than the Catton Park regulars, Thanks, RS

If I am not mistaken, America vetoed Russia's request and Russia vetoed America's request. The Americans want the "Independent" team to decide who is to blame, but the Russians want the UN to decide who is to blame after looking at the Independent findings. Chemical weapons were only banned because they were rubbish, especially things like chlorine gas and mustard gas (Nerve agents are better, but still hugely ineffective for combat if you have any of your own troops, or innocents, in the area of their use). They are very weather dependent, very easily avoided by combatants and are just as likely to harm your own troops. They are seen as "unsportsman-like" (because an exploding shell is so much braver). For a fuller explanation, try this: http://jbshaldane.org/books/1925-Callinicus/index.html Like every time before, the US makes a complete hash of every conflict since the Second World War, it simply cannot act diplomatically. Its entire economy is based on war. Sadly the UK just lapdogs along, RS