miked10270

Hi John, Unfortunately, arming the British Police Service couldn't be down to individual choice. One consideration in deciding to arm the police would be the threat percieved by an armed perpetrator of a crime when confronted by a police officer. Some armed and some not couldn't work. Incidentally, while most "Brits" accept an unarmed society, I believe that the perpetrators of this particular crime and some other firearms offences come from different cultures where bearing arms is considered the norm. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[disclaimer] I am completely against the death penalty on principle [/disclaimer] The fundamental problem with the death penalty is the complete inability to reverse it. The fundamental problem with the whole Criminal-Justice system is it's adversarial basis. When something (say a murder) is perpetrated, then the police officers are under pressure to "get a result" (a "result" - somebody charged & put to court - is a success & the path to riches & power is paved with such successes). Then we come to the "Glorified School Debate" which is the court process. One team whose SOLE purpose is to prove the accused's guilt and another team whose SOLE purpose is to prove the accused's innocence. Once againthe path to riches, fame & power is paved with "successes"! Is it really any wonder that the search for truth is lost in this maelstrom of people striving for success? Is it any wonder that any achievement of justice in such circumstances is purely accidental? Would you trust YOUR life to such a system? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I'd say that throughout the world an individual is not more valued if he is a cop... But the office itself is valued as a guardian of the law! I think it's already been pointed out that an attack on "the police" is an attack on society rather than an individual. For example: Telling an old guy to go feck himself is unpleasant... Telling the same guy the same thing when he's sitting as a Judge in court is a very different matter which is reflected in the likely punishment. It depends on whether you're attacking the individual or the office he/she bears. Mike. Incidentally, as a serving police officer I DON'T want a gun, but I'm honestly not sure if that is simply a culture thing based on the great myth of "The Unarmed British Bobby"? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I am completely against capital punishment on principle! That said, I do feel that imprisonment for life is richly deserved. Perhaps during this imprisonment he could rehabilitate himself through his skills as a showman, making a contribution to Vietnam's tourist industry & commemorating it's history. I WOULD pay to see Gary Glitter playing the part of a captured US Pilot circa 1970 in a Tiger Cage as part of a "living history" project. I'd even pay extra if I get to see Vietnamese kids poke the sick fat git with some sharpened bamboo! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

This has to be the ultimate pickup stunt! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

I'm not forgetting about the Armed Response Units. Before they can "unlock" their gun safe, they need verified authorisation from a "Chief Police Officer". Also, outwith London, ARUs are few and far between! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Two female police officers were recently shot & killed in Bradford (a small town in the English Midlands). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4451640.stm At present, British Police Officers are routinely equipped with bullet & stab resistant vests, batons, rigid cuffs & CS spray. Firearms are only issued (usually from the local force headquarters) on the orders of a VERY senior officer. So... At the risk of restarting a very old debate... Should Britain follow the rest of the world and routinely arm it's police officers in the course of their day-to-day duties)? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Watch the video - then decide! He tried to do a runner from questions he didn't like & couldn't escape... So yeah... It's funny and he looks a moron! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Cos they're evil, of course. AND... They all wear Black Hats (or have black hair, which is the same thing)! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

That would be nothing like Formosa / Taiwan? Japan? South Korea? And soon Vietnam? Mike. Edited to add for Trent: I get a little concerned at the progressive demonisation of Chavez in the American Media... Almost like a justification is being built up? As for Jimmy Carter monitoring the elections - I'd call Carter a few things resulting from his time as President... BUT dishonest or incompetent aren't included. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Naughty naughty - You've printed only one of the pro-chavez quotes! don't see anything about computer users in Venezuela, *** After reading some of the comments here, it's obvious that some of the people here have no idea of what they are talking about, specially the ones outside the country. I support Chavez and his government is one of the most democratic that this country ever had. AM, Caracas, Venezuela To Maria Paulus: Actually, it's not odd that it's only foreigners who admire President Chavez on this site and not Venezuelans. The vast majority of Venezuelans love his policies. They just don't have access to the internet to express their feelings like the rest of us. Jabu Gubula, Pretoria, South Africa And finally, perhaps the summary? President Chavez, like all of us, is far from perfect. However, he has ample reason to suspect the USA of having unfriendly designs towards his country's sovereignty. Venezuela is oil-rich, a resource of obvious importance to the American economy. President Chavez has consistently refused to acquiesce to American wishes on a number of economic and political issues. This is a behaviour that the American superpower does not easily abide. Moreover, Chavez's championing the political and economic rights of the poor in his country sorely irritates the Bush Administration, who fears such notions may spread to other Latin American countries. America has already been caught trying to finesse Chavez' removal from power. Having failed in that effort, it then staunchly supported the economic elite of Venezuela who claimed Chavez had lost the support of his electorate. That, we now know is not true. Will America be content to let the Venezuelan people elect their own rulers? The world can only hope so. Eric Calderone, New York, USA Surely there is an overwhelming case for The USA NOT to intervene. Certainly not on the basis that "He calls us names and trades with China!" There's a belief in Americans (which seems to originate in the vicinity of the Hollywood Hills and concentrate in the Bible-Belt) that The USA are always the good guys, are always right, and can fix every problem simply by applying "The American Way" and wearing a White Hat. Invading US Soldiers invariably carry a Hershey Bar in one hand and a childs doll in the other (the nylons are in the hip pocket). Thus, anyone opposed to the"Americanisation" of their culture is patently an evil megalomaniac bent on world destruction by socialism & godlessness. AND... He wears a Black Hat! The "American Way" is a good way, one that has served The USA very well... BUT... It is not the only way nor even neccessarily the best way for all cultures, particularly in the form the current administration is pursuing it! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Try this one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4350254.stm Which asks about Chavez' performance overall. It includes an interesting comment on the likely politics of computer-owners in Venezuela. Historically, American "Free-Trade Agreements" and similar have been made deliberately to the overwhelming benefit of The USA. American trade negotiators are perceived as "A Bunch of Snake-Oil Salesmen" who'll gouge out a deal that looks fair on the surface but in reality screws the other country. A prime example of this is foreign aid to cotton producing countries in Africa. The US gives aid on condition that these countries sell cotton without subsudising it's producers while The US heavily subsidises it's own cotton producers thus allowing US producers a price advantage. THEN the US complains about direct state-subsidy to Airbus against Boeing (who have historically always used profits from military contracts to subsidise civilian development). In trade, the US idea of a level playing field usually has a very definite, if well concealed, slope! ANY intervention by the US in Venezuela, which is the world's FIFTH-LARGEST OIL PRODUCER would destroy American credibility throughout the world!... Perhaps the US should cause "Regime Change" in a few poor but needier countries first. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Another: After numerous rounds of "We don't know if Osama is still alive," Osama himself decided to send George Bush a letter in his own handwriting to let him know he was still in the game. Bush opened the letter, and it appeared to contain a single line of coded message: 370HSSV-0773H Bush was baffled, so he e-mailed it to Condi Rice. Condi and her aides had no clue either, so they sent it to the FBI. No one could solve it at the FBI so it went to the CIA, then to the NSA. With no clue as to its meaning, the White House eventually asked Israel's secret service for help. Within a minute the Mossad cabled its reply: "Tell President Bush he's been holding the message upside down!" Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Then again, maybe it's NOT about the oil, maybe it's about the suffering of the Venezuelan people... Just like Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Congo... Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

My own recent favourite was a comment on Prince Charles & Camilla's state dinner with Dubya: Was George Bush looking a Prince Charles and wondering what sort of a fecked-up country would let a total idiot become head of state just because of who his parents & family were...? Was Prince Charles thinking the same? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Fascinating article. It seems to me that Kellog DID enjoy her time in Iran (apart from the shopping - now there's a rare woman), and even while America & Iran are about 3 steps from war, actual, real Americans & Iranians are instinctively friendly and hospitable toward one another. It certainly provides food for thought next time you see a crown of irate foreigners burning US flags on TV; "American? Welcome to Iran! How are you? Is this your first time here? I hope you will like it and your trip will be successful." Then off to burn a few a few more Imperialist Pig-Dog rags!!! It was put perfectly by an Iranian who hated "America" for it's foreign policy & actions, yet liked Americans as people! Of course, the latest research showing that America was named after a Welshman explains a lot to folk who have experience of the Welsh! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Maybe he's donating the $15,000 "Family Money" to his local branch of Bulgarian Assassination Services I would! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

This from the continent that gave us the 100 years war? Yep! This from the continent that that was there for ALL of the 100 years war! Anyway, that's nuthin'!!! It's a well known fact that The Crimean War (Britain Vs. Russia) lasted from 1854 to 1966, and the sole survivor of the war (British) was present at the signing of the final peace treaty. Y'All see? Start the war! Fight ALL of the war! Finish the war! See the whole thing through rather than joining late or leaving early! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

ANOTHER war for The US!!? Personally I think that they need A LOT more practise in the area of actually starting, fighting AND FINISHING a war all by themselves first. Europeans can't hold their hands and guide them step-by-step in how to have wars properly forever! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Yeah... When you're in your Defender it's TOO tempting to ask a Freelander owner when they're "Going to give Ken & Barbie their Jeep back?" Seriously, there's no basis for comparing the two - one's a car and the other's a truck! They're completely different tools for completely different jobs! Each is excellent in what it was designed to do, but they WERE designed for completely different things. I remember when the Range Rover first came out. Again, "purists" looked down on their "car-like" qualities to the point where LandRover ended up sending a couple out on an expedition through some godawful "impassable" part of Central America to prove the Range Rover's off-road credibility. I think it was Australians who "created" a road through on this expedition and it was noted that the expedition actually consumed more beer than petrol, thus proving that the Range Rover was "economical"? Regards, Mike. Edited to add: LINK and to point out that Colonel John Blashford-Snell was involved - which is in itself proof of the expedition's insanity credentials! Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Hi Tony, What's wrong with the TD4 Freelander? Great engine & transmission - maybe a bit lacking in ground clearance & space for what I do but more economical & "everyday practical" than a "Deafener"! I think that the "issue" with SVO & Bio is that it can attack certain types of "rubber" seals - apparently the seals have to be some particular dupont polymer to resist this and there's a question about whether they are. Lucas etc... don't say! The fuel companies all shout "BE SCARED OF BIO"!!!![scared] YET... 100% BioDiesel (Modified Waste Vegetable Fat) is commonly available in Europe from pumps without there being a queue of cars having their fuel systems replaced. I do wonder just how "harmful" bio is to cars in Britain yet it does no harm to those cars sold on the continent!!? Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Hi Tony, Y'know, we could talk Landys & Bio on PM... Or even start a new thread... Or... HIJACK this one! What model Landy do you have? I've got 2; a Defender 110CSW with a TD300 engine & auto box, & a Series II with a Perkins diesel. Both have run on John Nicholson's "commercial" BioDiesel with no ill effects except to my wallet - buying AND shipping the stuff to me makes it more expensive than FossilDiesel and while I like the smell I'm not THAT green!. What BioDiesel are you using? You know, any fuel oil will thicken up & "wax" at low temperature, it's just that the likes of Esso, BP etc... add an anti-waxing agent through Autumn & Winter, just as they add an anti-foam agent through Spring & Summer. In effect, the exact blend of FossilDiesel available at the pumps changes through the year. Incidentally, have you ever thought of adding a vegetable fat fuel system? I did think about it, but I don't do enough journeys of a long enough duration to justify it. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

May I ask just WHAT THE HELL you are smoking!!?? Now, where was I? Oh yeah, before I jump in this, is a Landrover 110 Station Wagon a SUV? It's the "S" I'm unsure about! In the meantime, I think it's a shame that people no longer see their cars for what they are: A tool for transportation. A lot of the time, people (who can afford to) choose vehicles to make strange statements about themselves. I still don't understand the Range Rover Sport or the Porsche Cayenne beyond the fact that the manufacturers know that "there's one born every minute." Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

Having read your link, I am now somewhat comforted that Delta mean CORPORATE Murder / Suicide! I did have visions of announcements like: "This is your pilot speaking, we are presently at 35,000 feet and expect to arrive at Atlanta shortly. Since it's 5pm, I'm now on strike and I guess we'll just have to see how the plane manages by itself! Looking on the bright side, we may in fact land ahead of schedule! Thank you for flying Delta, we know you hicks probably didn't have a choice!" Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

True... But the Gallic language does have the smallest vocabulary! However, some of their terms, like, say: "Fromage Mangeant Singes du Reddition" does have a certain J' ne sais quoi! It just sounds classier, more appropriate in French than in English. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.