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I blame the Kaiser Chiefs.  Funny how they seemed to KNOW A BIT TOO MUCH about these events BEFORE they happened...

Hang on -- inner city riots; Tory government making cuts; Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool; Come Dancing, Doctor Who and Hawaii 5-O on telly; Smurfs everywhere I look; ... have I gone back 30 years???

Seriously, modern policing methods don't help -- the emphasis is on efficiency once more (i.e. patrol cars) rather than community.  Not talking bobbies-on-the-beat (which is a bit of a rose tinted fallacy) but at least a bit more local presence.

Nobody seems to take the long-term view, either.  Getting rid of giant schools would reduce delinquency (with up to 3 x expulsion rate per pupil, they're obviously failing to catch problems early).  Removing all targets on policing would help too.  And it's fair to suggest that mass unemployment increases crime rates, so it'd be cheaper in the long run to subsidise low-grade (especially unskilled) jobs, which would have at least some effect on reducing the expensive prison population.

Has anybody noticed how the second day of rioting has been mainly in areas with big gang problems?  These all seemed to start off with looting, so I'm suspecting that organised groups of crims have kicked things off to take advantage of the fact that PC Plod will be stretched.  The anti-police social protest stuff then naturally collects around it and smothers any chance of catching the greedy scum who started it.

On that topic, I remember reading about the idea of flash looting in some short story about teleportation (by somebody like Harry Harrison or Larry Niven).  In this Internet age I've always been surprised that it has never taken off, even in a simple way (e.g. hitting a supermarket with several dozen simultaneous shoplifters).

Maybe this is the first shoots of a new kind of semi-organised crime?

(Oops -- turns out Thunderbird doesn't stamp my IP on Usenet messages, and I timed-out trying to edit the previous post.  If mods want to confirm my identiity then please PM me and I'll provide Prog+Meg subscription details instead.)

[How very-very dare you!]

<impression mode="Syd Field" quality="poor">How very-very dare you!</impression>

Apology more than accepted.

Yes, I am the same A.Cow who has been posting on news:alt.comics.2000ad for donkey's years, along with John Smith and Logan and the other few faithfuls ... still holding out hope that one day newsgroups will come back into fashion.

No, I'm definitely not that irritiating little arsegyke (who started doing his 'moocow' nonsense to copy me, unfortunately).  I plonked him in the killfile many moons back (along with his pal Chuckles the monkey) and have lived blissfully ever since, chewing synthi-cud 'til the robo-bovines come home.

(N.B. If any mods want confirmation of my identity, please cross-reference my logged IP with my Usenet posts: I've been on a static IP for a couple of years.)

[I am A.Cow. Hear me moo!!]

I am A.Cow.  Hear me moo!!

After years of clinging onto the Usenet newsgroup I've finally started coming here (mostly to get away from Sc*j* and his relentless twattering).

That's about it,like.

Of course, one day I'll become a famous scriptwriter, like y'know, when Tharg finally sees fit to recognise the genius implicit within my Future Shock about the big disk at the bottom of the ocean.  By the time they finally decipher the hieroglyphics surrounding it, it's too late because the disk has revolved -- to point at the symbols which translate as ... "spin cycle"!

They'll be wearing "a lot of spandex", you say ... count me in!

Can we have the premiere in Southport, please? I can go on the bus to Southport. I could make a day of it - push the boat out a bit. Maybe even have an ice cream...

dont get one from that shop on the corner down from b&ms theyre a right rip off!

I bought a musical-Santa-on-a-tricycle from Southport B&Ms a few years back.  And an Elvis statue that played Jerry Lee Lewis songs only.  The place is a treasure trove of tat and should be awarded the retail business equivalent of listed building status.

Those ominous words -- "Exciting news, Earthlets..." -- can only mean one thing.  "Your favourite comics are joining forces!"

I look forward to reading next week's issue of "2000AD and Beano" (yes, I know the Beano is published by D.C. Thompson, but there aren't many other comics left!)