On 9/4/2021 12:31 PM, Mike Fleming wrote:
> On 04/09/2021 00:29, Boots wrote:
>> On 04/09/2021 00:37 Hog penned these words:
>>> the crimes of robbery, burglary and vehicle theft (among others) are
>>> significantly perpetrated by a startlingly small number of 3x plus
>>> repeat offenders who comprise under 20% of the total prison
>>> population. Some 95% male and most under 40. 3 group indicators
>>> over-represented and a generational element.
>>
>> Drugs, much of petty crime goes to fund drug habits. Decriminalise,
>> treat as a
>> health problem. Reserve the harsh punishments for the big boys and
>> girls in the
>> trade.
>
> Legalise and tax. That should raise significant revenue, control the
> purity of drugs, and cut the reasons for petty crime. Would need a
> decent swab test to check for driving under the influence.

We're doing that, but the bureaucracy has instilled so many regulations
that the cartels are still winning. I get marijuana and edibles from
friends who grow legally, so avoid the market completely, as do many
people I know. Otherwise, the cartels grow in huge plantations without
cowing to regulations, and they sell to legal markets under the table.
If they get busted, they set up business again in days.

As for medicinal drugs, they're supporting many politicians, so it's
hard to control them.

--
The erstwhile Thomas
FJR1300, R1200GS, ST1100 (in memoriam)

On 05/09/2021 04:19 Andy Burns penned these words:
> Mike Fleming wrote:
>
>> Boots wrote:
>>
>>> Drugs, much of petty crime goes to fund drug habits. Decriminalise,
>>> treat as a
>>> health problem. Reserve the harsh punishments for the big boys and
>>> girls in the
>>> trade.
>>
>> Legalise and tax. That should raise significant revenue
>
> Would the big boys shrug then go out and get 9 to 5 jobs, or move on to
> some other profitable way of trashing society?
>
There is always the Indonesian solution if they insist.

--
Ian

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of
the last priest"

On Saturday, 4 September 2021 at 20:31:24 UTC+1, Mike Fleming wrote:
> On 04/09/2021 00:29, Boots wrote:
> > On 04/09/2021 00:37 Hog penned these words:
> >> the crimes of robbery, burglary and vehicle theft (among others) are significantly perpetrated by a startlingly small number of 3x plus repeat offenders who comprise under 20% of the total prison population. Some 95% male and most under 40. 3 group indicators over-represented and a generational element.
> >
> > Drugs, much of petty crime goes to fund drug habits. Decriminalise, treat as a
> > health problem. Reserve the harsh punishments for the big boys and girls in the
> > trade.
> Legalise and tax. That should raise significant revenue, control the
> purity of drugs, and cut the reasons for petty crime. Would need a
> decent swab test to check for driving under the influence.

Isn't it interesting that the Taliban are doing what the Allied forces refused to do?
In fact, years ago, when I heard it had been decided to leave the poppy fields intact, for "reasons", I knew it was a phoney war.

On 05/09/2021 21:39 Hog penned these words:
> On Saturday, 4 September 2021 at 20:31:24 UTC+1, Mike Fleming wrote:
>> On 04/09/2021 00:29, Boots wrote:
>>> On 04/09/2021 00:37 Hog penned these words:
>>>> the crimes of robbery, burglary and vehicle theft (among others) are significantly perpetrated by a startlingly small number of 3x plus repeat offenders who comprise under 20% of the total prison population. Some 95% male and most under 40. 3 group indicators over-represented and a generational element.
>>>
>>> Drugs, much of petty crime goes to fund drug habits. Decriminalise, treat as a
>>> health problem. Reserve the harsh punishments for the big boys and girls in the
>>> trade.
>> Legalise and tax. That should raise significant revenue, control the
>> purity of drugs, and cut the reasons for petty crime. Would need a
>> decent swab test to check for driving under the influence.
>
> Isn't it interesting that the Taliban are doing what the Allied forces refused to do?
> In fact, years ago, when I heard it had been decided to leave the poppy fields intact, for "reasons", I knew it was a phoney war.
>

Last time the Taliban were in control they cut drug production, declared
unIslamic. Of course their recent return to power has in part been financed by
drugs so who knows.

--
Ian

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of
the last priest"

On 9/5/2021 7:22 PM, Boots wrote:
> On 05/09/2021 21:39 Hog penned these words:
>> On Saturday, 4 September 2021 at 20:31:24 UTC+1, Mike Fleming wrote:
>>> On 04/09/2021 00:29, Boots wrote:
>>>> On 04/09/2021 00:37 Hog penned these words:
>>>>> the crimes of robbery, burglary and vehicle theft (among others) are significantly perpetrated by a startlingly small number of 3x plus repeat offenders who comprise under 20% of the total prison population. Some 95% male and most under 40. 3 group indicators over-represented and a generational element.
>>>>
>>>> Drugs, much of petty crime goes to fund drug habits. Decriminalise, treat as a
>>>> health problem. Reserve the harsh punishments for the big boys and girls in the
>>>> trade.
>>> Legalise and tax. That should raise significant revenue, control the
>>> purity of drugs, and cut the reasons for petty crime. Would need a
>>> decent swab test to check for driving under the influence.
>>
>> Isn't it interesting that the Taliban are doing what the Allied forces refused to do?
>> In fact, years ago, when I heard it had been decided to leave the poppy fields intact, for "reasons", I knew it was a phoney war.
>>
>
> Last time the Taliban were in control they cut drug production, declared
> unIslamic. Of course their recent return to power has in part been financed by
> drugs so who knows.
>
I met a guy today. He's a senior helicopter pilot who did a tour in
Afghanistan. He said his impression was that Afghanis seemed to just put
up with the allies, knowing they would eventually leave. With so many
different tribes, there was no cohesive national attitude, every village
was on its own, and the culture was out of the dark ages. If there's a
foreigner around, he's a source of income. That's all. Expecting them to
adopt any western ideas is a fantasy.

--
The erstwhile Thomas
FJR1300, R1200GS, ST1100 (in memoriam)

On 06/09/2021 11:42 Turby penned these words:
> On 9/5/2021 7:22 PM, Boots wrote:
>
>> Last time the Taliban were in control they cut drug production, declared
>> unIslamic. Of course their recent return to power has in part been financed by
>> drugs so who knows.
>>
> I met a guy today. He's a senior helicopter pilot who did a tour in
> Afghanistan. He said his impression was that Afghanis seemed to just put
> up with the allies, knowing they would eventually leave. With so many
> different tribes, there was no cohesive national attitude, every village
> was on its own, and the culture was out of the dark ages. If there's a
> foreigner around, he's a source of income. That's all. Expecting them to
> adopt any western ideas is a fantasy.
>

Although up until the US and the Soviets started playing silly buggers in the
70s in a proxy war that created the current shitheads it was fairly liberal.
Although doubtless it may well have imploded without the outside interference it
was inevitable once they got involved. Pretty well every army that tried to hold
it has eventually given up all the way back to Alexander albeit it was not
Afghanistan then but his imposed control collapsed after his death.

--
Ian

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of
the last priest"

In article <bq44jgd6pnn2udppmqan04qjldnlbia2og@4ax.com>, Ace@ch.com says...
> I'm not saying that Crime doesn't exist in Switzerland, although TBF
> most Swiss people will attribute it to foreigners anyway, but the
> levels thereof, and the resulting attitude towards personal and
> property safety, is so far removed from the UK it's difficult to
> really appreciate without getting used to it and then visiting the
> UK again.
>

The only time I have been mugged was in Geneva.

--
jeremy

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 08:33:29 +0100, jeremy <jeremy0505@gmail.com>
wrote:

>In article <bq44jgd6pnn2udppmqan04qjldnlbia2og@4ax.com>, Ace@ch.com says...
>> I'm not saying that Crime doesn't exist in Switzerland, although TBF
>> most Swiss people will attribute it to foreigners anyway, but the
>> levels thereof, and the resulting attitude towards personal and
>> property safety, is so far removed from the UK it's difficult to
>> really appreciate without getting used to it and then visiting the
>> UK again.
>>
>
>The only time I have been mugged was in Geneva.

Geneva's 'special', normal Swiss rules don't apply.

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 08:33:29 +0100, jeremy <jeremy0505@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>In article <bq44jgd6pnn2udppmqan04qjldnlbia2og@4ax.com>, Ace@ch.com says...
>>> I'm not saying that Crime doesn't exist in Switzerland, although TBF
>>> most Swiss people will attribute it to foreigners anyway, but the
>>> levels thereof, and the resulting attitude towards personal and
>>> property safety, is so far removed from the UK it's difficult to
>>> really appreciate without getting used to it and then visiting the
>>> UK again.
>>>
>>
>>The only time I have been mugged was in Geneva.
>
> Geneva's 'special', normal Swiss rules don't apply.

Yebbut its so french that one exit from the airport is in france.

--
http://www.netunix.com/

On 03/09/2021 13:11, Turby wrote:
> On 9/3/2021 4:33 AM, Ace wrote:
>>
>> But theft across the country is considered as something to be
>> expected, which is frankly shameful. Not sure what the answer is,
>> apart from moving out of the country.
>>
> Set a trap. Kidnap the perp. Take him/them to a secure hideout. Tattoo
> "THIEF" across the forehead. Cut off all 10 fingers. Take a blowtorch to
> the eyeballs. Release him/them in some desolate place.
>
From the Terry Pratchett based drama, The Watch, - the best quote so
far just has to be, "Have you any idea how many thieves rethink their
choice of profession after ten weeks of intensive nursing?"

--
The Deuchars BBB#40 COFF#14
Yamaha XV750SE & Suzuki GS550t
http://www.Deuchars.org.uk

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 09:36:31 -0000 (UTC), crn@nospam.com wrote:

>Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
>> Geneva's 'special', normal Swiss rules don't apply.
>
>Yebbut its so french that one exit from the airport is in france.

Quite so, although the airport is all geographically in CH, just the
one exit from covered parking that goes through a tunnel and comes up
in France.

(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)

More significant than the Geography is the history, and the fact that
Geneva has only been part of Switzerland since 1815, before which it
was still a part of France - the rest of French-speaking Switzerland
had historically been part of, or subject states of, the Swiss
confederation, for several hundred years. So culturally Geneva is the
least Swiss of all of the cantons.
--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 11:16:32 +0100, "ChrisND @UKRM"
<chrisnd@privacy.net> wrote:

>On 03/09/2021 13:11, Turby wrote:
>> On 9/3/2021 4:33 AM, Ace wrote:
>>>
>>> But theft across the country is considered as something to be
>>> expected, which is frankly shameful. Not sure what the answer is,
>>> apart from moving out of the country.
>>>
>> Set a trap. Kidnap the perp. Take him/them to a secure hideout. Tattoo
>> "THIEF" across the forehead. Cut off all 10 fingers. Take a blowtorch to
>> the eyeballs. Release him/them in some desolate place.
>>
> From the Terry Pratchett based drama, The Watch, - the best quote so
>far just has to be, "Have you any idea how many thieves rethink their
>choice of profession after ten weeks of intensive nursing?"

I'm still not ure about that show, TBH. Some parts are good, and I do
particularly like the Patrician, but the full-strength Watch under a
drunken Vimes doesn't really make sense, amongst other things. And
everyone knows that Angua is supposed to be tall and Blond and an
object of sexual fantasy, whereas that version just... isn't.

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0200, Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:

>(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
>with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)

Basel is fun. I used to visit an office in Switzerland, where the car
park was in France, and lunch was served in Germany.

--

Pete
Garage vacancy now filled, N+1 incremented accordingly
F800R

On 04/09/2021 10:11, YTC#1 wrote:
> On 04/09/2021 01:00, Eddie wrote:
>> On 03/09/2021 13:32, Hog wrote:
>>
>>> Every decent motorcycle needs a tracker/movement alarm
>>
>> Bollocks.
>>
>> Mine's on the lowest premium that the insurers will do, without any
>> additional security devices.
>
> I think he meant it in a theft discouraging way.
>
> Try an experiment, park it in Liverpool City Centre, with out a chain.
> See if it is there when you get back 2 hours later.

But that's the location, not how "decent" the motorcycle is.

Even a complete POS would get stolen in central Liverpool, but I'm quite
happy to park mine all day in central Newcastle without any more
security than the steering lock.

--
Eddie eddie@deguello.org

On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 15:32:45 +0200, Pete <pemur@btmungeinternet.com>
wrote:

>On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0200, Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
>
>>(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
>>with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)
>
>Basel is fun. I used to visit an office in Switzerland, where the car
>park was in France, and lunch was served in Germany.

Novartis, presumably?

--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On 9/5/2021 9:01 PM, Boots wrote:
> On 06/09/2021 11:42 Turby penned these words:
>> On 9/5/2021 7:22 PM, Boots wrote:
>>
>>> Last time the Taliban were in control they cut drug production, declared
>>> unIslamic. Of course their recent return to power has in part been financed by
>>> drugs so who knows.
>>>
>> I met a guy today. He's a senior helicopter pilot who did a tour in
>> Afghanistan. He said his impression was that Afghanis seemed to just put
>> up with the allies, knowing they would eventually leave. With so many
>> different tribes, there was no cohesive national attitude, every village
>> was on its own, and the culture was out of the dark ages. If there's a
>> foreigner around, he's a source of income. That's all. Expecting them to
>> adopt any western ideas is a fantasy.
>>
>
> Although up until the US and the Soviets started playing silly buggers in the
> 70s in a proxy war that created the current shitheads it was fairly liberal.
> Although doubtless it may well have imploded without the outside interference it
> was inevitable once they got involved. Pretty well every army that tried to hold
> it has eventually given up all the way back to Alexander albeit it was not
> Afghanistan then but his imposed control collapsed after his death.
>
"Liberal." I'm not sure if that's the right word, but a cornerstone of
Islamic tradition has been hospitality. It doesn't matter your religion
or politics, if you meet a stranger, they deserve hospitality. For 3
days at least.

--
The erstwhile Thomas
FJR1300, R1200GS, ST1100 (in memoriam)

On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 15:43:28 +0200, Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 15:32:45 +0200, Pete <pemur@btmungeinternet.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0200, Ace <Ace@ch.com> wrote:
>>
>>>(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
>>>with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)
>>
>>Basel is fun. I used to visit an office in Switzerland, where the car
>>park was in France, and lunch was served in Germany.
>
>Novartis, presumably?

Sandoz in those days. Dates me a bit.

--

Pete
Garage vacancy now filled, N+1 incremented accordingly
F800R

On 03/09/2021 12:02, Cab wrote:
> Mark Olson wibbled:
>
>> I'm still amazed at how much bike (and other) theft you lot have to
>> put up with.
>
> Funnily enough, AONTL. And I rarely lock my bike with a chain in Paris
> (I tend to use the steering lock only).
>
>> I'd ask who here has never had a bike stolen, but sod's law and
>> all that.
>
> +1
>

France is exactly twice as bad as the UK, in my experience.

--
/Simon

On Monday, September 6, 2021 at 9:32:49 AM UTC-4, Pete wrote:
> On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0200, Ace <A...@ch.com> wrote:
>
> >(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
> >with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)
> Basel is fun. I used to visit an office in Switzerland, where the car
> park was in France, and lunch was served in Germany.

When I was a truck driver, I often did a run that delivered post overnight from London (interestingly, it was "air mail"). The post office that took delivery in Basel had its loading bay accessed via a multi-story car park. Always felt quite odd driving a 17 ton truck in. Have often had a look on google maps to try to find it, but to no avail.

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 19:41:25 +0100, siwilson
<siwilson@nodamnspam.hotmail.com> wrote:

>France is exactly twice as bad as the UK, in my experience.

Based on numbers of bikes taken or individual incidents?

--

-Pip

On 06/09/2021 12:02, Ace wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 11:16:32 +0100, "ChrisND @UKRM"
> <chrisnd@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>> From the Terry Pratchett based drama, The Watch, - the best quote so
>> far just has to be, "Have you any idea how many thieves rethink their
>> choice of profession after ten weeks of intensive nursing?"
>
> I'm still not ure about that show, TBH. Some parts are good, and I do
> particularly like the Patrician, but the full-strength Watch under a
> drunken Vimes doesn't really make sense, amongst other things. And
> everyone knows that Angua is supposed to be tall and Blond and an
> object of sexual fantasy, whereas that version just... isn't.

It gets 3/10 from me. Loses 5 points immediately for being "based on
characters" when it isn't, with pointless regendering of Vetinari,
Cruces, Dibbler, and Lupine Wonse, debearding of Cheery, shrinking
Angua's stature and hair, making the Librarian a semi-simian, and
changing Inigo Skimmer from being a bodyguard Assassin to the killer of
Sybil's parents, but I think it would be a 7 or 8 if it wasn't for that.
Casting is crap, I'd have gone with someone like Ken Stott as Vimes,
Anton Lesser as Vetinari, maybe Olivia Coleman as Sybil Ramkin, not sure
about Carrot or Angua, Daniel Mays as Dibbler.

Pipl wibbled:

> > France is exactly twice as bad as the UK, in my experience.
>
> Based on numbers of bikes taken or individual incidents?

Based upon a sample poll of, er, one. Sadly.

--
Cab
Z1000 and CB1300 and VeloSolex 3800

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 21:58:20 +0100, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
wrote:

>On 06/09/2021 12:02, Ace wrote:
>> On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 11:16:32 +0100, "ChrisND @UKRM"
>> <chrisnd@privacy.net> wrote:
>>
>>> From the Terry Pratchett based drama, The Watch,

>> I'm still not ure about that show, TBH. Some parts are good, and I do
>> particularly like the Patrician, but the full-strength Watch under a
>> drunken Vimes doesn't really make sense, amongst other things. And
>> everyone knows that Angua is supposed to be tall and Blond and an
>> object of sexual fantasy, whereas that version just... isn't.
>
>It gets 3/10 from me. Loses 5 points immediately for being "based on
>characters" when it isn't, with pointless regendering of Vetinari,
>Cruces, Dibbler, and Lupine Wonse, debearding of Cheery, shrinking
>Angua's stature and hair, making the Librarian a semi-simian, and
>changing Inigo Skimmer from being a bodyguard Assassin to the killer of
>Sybil's parents, but I think it would be a 7 or 8 if it wasn't for that.

I'd missed that last one, actually. I mean, I hadn't specifically
thought about where that particular character had first appeared. I
guess with so many wrongly-assigned characters I gave up thinking
about them at that level of detail. And I've still not watched the
four episodes from the last two weeks.

>Casting is crap, I'd have gone with someone like Ken Stott as Vimes,
>Anton Lesser as Vetinari, maybe Olivia Coleman as Sybil Ramkin, not sure
>about Carrot or Angua, Daniel Mays as Dibbler.

It's like the producers have deliberately chosen to use one or two
attributes from each character and not just ignore, but completely
contradict, the rest.

Similarly with many of the plot devices - let's reverse engineer the
basis for Night Watch, combine it with a backdrop from Guards Guards,
throw in a lot of ultimately pointless reworking of the concept of the
Assasins, and indeed all the other, Guilds and take it from there.

What it actually achieves is to add loads more inconsistencies tp both
the Discworl/AM concept and the plot itself.
--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 12:11:54 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
<benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, September 6, 2021 at 9:32:49 AM UTC-4, Pete wrote:
>> On Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0200, Ace <A...@ch.com> wrote:
>>
>> >(Whereas by contrast Basel/Euroairport is entirely located in France,
>> >with a 4km long fenced-off road linking it to CH proper.)
>> Basel is fun. I used to visit an office in Switzerland, where the car
>> park was in France, and lunch was served in Germany.
>
>When I was a truck driver, I often did a run that delivered post overnight from London (interestingly, it was "air mail"). The post office that took delivery in Basel had its loading bay accessed via a multi-story car park. Always felt quite odd driving a 17 ton truck in. Have often had a look on google maps to try to find it, but to no avail.

This bit is an exit from the railway parking, right next to the Post
office building.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5471883,7.5921511,3a,75y,138.85h,93.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCjqSbRuotv_KpV5M88vzRQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Further along the road where it's been redeveloped since your day
there;s still a delivery entrance into the railway area, and it may
very well have been this that you're thinking of.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5459911,7.5963795,3a,75y,186.55h,89.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smaO0xlQHG5aoz7rEWcujQQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
--
Ace
http://www.chaletbeauroc.com/

On 07/09/2021 10:00, Ace wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Sep 2021 21:58:20 +0100, Mike Fleming <mike@tauzero.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> Casting is crap, I'd have gone with someone like Ken Stott as Vimes,
>> Anton Lesser as Vetinari, maybe Olivia Coleman as Sybil Ramkin, not sure
>> about Carrot or Angua, Daniel Mays as Dibbler.
>
> It's like the producers have deliberately chosen to use one or two
> attributes from each character and not just ignore, but completely
> contradict, the rest.
>
> Similarly with many of the plot devices - let's reverse engineer the
> basis for Night Watch, combine it with a backdrop from Guards Guards,
> throw in a lot of ultimately pointless reworking of the concept of the
> Assasins, and indeed all the other, Guilds and take it from there.
>
> What it actually achieves is to add loads more inconsistencies tp both
> the Discworl/AM concept and the plot itself.

With any luck, this will come to fruition:

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/discworld-terry-pratchett-new-tv-series/

Although there's nothing on progress since the April 2020 press release
that everybody regurgitated.