Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Perhaps its due to  the judicial system in both countries? In Australia policing was by government police and troopers, centrally controlled by the government, with a system of government assigned magistrates in major centres who would try all criminal cases from both  the  local and more far-flung areas. Capital sentences were carried out in the major country centre like Bathurst, rather than locally where the crime was committed, and sentences could be appealed.

No, it's nothing to do with this. The bones of the judicial system are identical. They are all based on English Common Law.

 

There are variations in policing - that is separate from the judicial system.

 

For the most part, capital crimes are (and were like Australia) managed at the state level. Australia and the US have very similar policing structures at the Federal and State level. Where they vary is that in the US there are police forces at the county (Sheriff) and local city. The lowest level of legal process in the US is county courts - which is (I think) somewhat similar in Australia - the District Courts.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

In contrast if my studies of US frontier justice, based on watching many a Saturday morning  western when young are correct, US frontier law enforcement seems to be based on locally elected "sheriffs" and judges, many untrained who would often organise  an armed  possie of locals or bounty hunters to capture alleged suspects. Justice was localised and swift and there was no central authority to oversee the sentence or to be appealed to.( Maybe I'm wrong? ).

Yes and no. Don't believe everything you see in the movies.

 

Even Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles (1974) has the Governor (THE GOV) Lepetomane (Mel Brooks) overseeing executions. In the clip, Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) is on the Governor's staff.

 

Edited April 29 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

... ease of access to firearms is a factor, but it's not that simple ...

Ease of access is the primary factor. Glorification of guns is secondary, but contributes.

 

I was thinking the other day - I don't directly know any shooting victims.

 

Having said that, a colleague lost his daughter to a university shooting (6 fatalities). I know someone who knew a victim of a local mall shooting (3 fatalities) and a former colleague was present (and sensibly ran away from) the Route 91 Festival shooting in Las Vegas (60 fatalities).

 

The degrees of separation is small.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

As of 2019 there were 3.5 million guns

That's one firearm for every 7 people in Australia.

 

In the US it is more than one per person (1.2) - though this is concentrated. 42% of households have a firearm.  (Three in 10 say they own a gun and 11% say they live with someone who does.)

 

A rough extrapolation suggests that gun owners have an average of 4 firearms per person, compared with zero for the other 70%.

 

[enz]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

2 hours ago, enz said:

... here in NZ where we have some people getting a gun and wanting to use it in order to get a "macho" image to themselves and their mates, so we may be on the edge of a horrible slide; 

Not wanting to be nasty, but let's not forget the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019 - 51 were murdered.

 

It is important to remember these things - even if they are horrible.

 

I don't feel that you're being nasty, but I can assure all I haven't forgotten Christchurch Mosque and Islamic Centre shootings; I actually live in Chch and occasionally drive past the mosque when heading to the western side of town. I remember feeling a sense of shock when first seeing it reported - how can this be, this isn't the NZ I thought I had. Also not wanting to offend, especially our Australian commenter MaF and others, but  the news that the perpetrator is Australian brought a tiny amount of relief along with shame (along with horror, disgust, despair, etc).

 

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Over the years much revisionist history has evolved over the revolution. What is forgotten is that the French Royal Navy (Ancien régime) essentially won the revolution*. (They would later lose the wider revolutionary war to the RN in places like the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.)

 

Thanks for the info there, in particular the English Bill of Rights point. Learning something (without pain) improves the day. It's appreciated.

 

But without wanting to annoy (I can usually accomplish that without wanting to, it's a natural talent I have), I feel I should disagree with the thesis that the French Royal Navy essentially won the revolution. I consider that Navies (and Air Forces) generally cannot win wars on land - victory at sea (or in Chesapeake Bay I think) may create the environment in which the war can be won, but it still must be won on the ground. In this case the French navy won control of sea access to the colonies so denying the British the ability to supply and reinforce their forces, but the British only needed to supply and reinforce their forces because the Colonists were fighting. I'm not saying that the Colonists would have won without the French victory, but it was a necessary but not sufficient condition. (And that'll annoy any Americans who'd like to believe they did it all themselves).

 

Regard, enz

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, enz said:

I feel I should disagree with the thesis that the French Royal Navy essentially won the revolution.

The reference is to the Yorktown campaign - which not coincidently, happened during hurricane season in the Caribbean.

 

Cornwallis placed himself at Yorktown (his back to deep water, so the RN could rescue him if need be).  Admiral de Grasse cut him off and at the Battle of the Capes prevented the RN (under Admiral Graves) from dislodging him.

 

It wasn't just de Grasse though. The siege artillery that effected the victory at Yorktown (on land) all of which was French, was delivered by the French navy with a fleet commanded by Admiral de Barras who shipped it from Newport - by an intentionally circuitous route, avoiding British patrols.

 

Without the French navy - there would be no artillery to bombard Cornwallis' position, and he could have easily escaped by sea, prolonging the war. Cornwallis did attempt to escape at night across the York River, but this was disrupted by thunderstorms.

 

The British knew the French fleet was coming. Hood looked into the Chesapeake before heading to New York, but he had got there just five days before de Grasse and found it empty. Hood was junior to Graves who took too long to move the British fleet south from New York - by which time de Grasse had arrived in the Chesapeake - blockading Cornwallis ashore.

 

It didn't help that Rodney had split his fleet - sending three ships of the line to Jamaica and taking three ships of the line home to defend his questionable* sack of Sint Eustatius, sending Hood's depleted squadron north to the 13 colonies. Had Rodney stayed in theatre the British might have had sufficient superiority to win at The Capes.

 

* Britain was not at war with the Dutch Republic at the time - though they were supplying American traders.

 

The whole of the campaign hinged on the movements of the two navies and the RN lost. Cornwallis' surrender led to the fall of the North government, ending the war in the 13** colonies, though war with France would continue in India and the Caribbean.

 

There was no victory at Yorktown without the French navy - no artillery and Cornwallis escapes. The strength of the French navy would not have been deployed at all - were it not for the dangers of staying in the Caribbean during hurricane season.

 

** It was actually 14, but one of them was not part of the revolution. (And I'm not talking about British Canada.)

 

Edited April 29 by Ozexpatriate

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a small village where most of my neighbours have guns for hunting.  However Beth has just messaged to say that she is to be released so I need to get a wiggle on. 

 

Jamie

[polybear]

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

In 1990 I'm pretty sure  I could still go into our local Kmart and buy a rifle off the shelf (albeit a low calibre low velocity rifle suitable for rabbit shooting) 

 

 

That's it - flog guns so people can blast harmless cuddly bunnies yet protect the killer animals with laws.  Weird.

 

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Following the gun buyback in 1997 there were 3.2 million guns in Australia. As of 2019 there were 3.5 million guns, so despite many a MAGA enthusiast claiming the Australians gave up their guns, there are actually MORE guns in the community now than when the Port Arthur buyback scheme was implemented. Despite that we have not had a single mass shooting (apart from one  tragic murder-suicide). 

 

This is interesting:

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/how-switzerland-combines-a-passion-for-guns-with-safety/49115108

 

- which suggests to me that much of it isn't due to the availability of Guns but all about what's between a person's lug 'oles.

 

Much of the problem in the US seems to be this "Right to bear Arms" in the Constitution(?), which the pro-Gun Lobby are somewhat keen to bring up at a moment's notice.  OK, so make it law that the only guns that can be made and sold in the US (apart from those for law enforcement etc.) have a very limited power and a very small magazine (1 or 2?) - and don't go announcing that'll be the Law from 2027 or whatever, cos' that'll simply mean everyone will go rushing out to buy one before then; it really does need to be an "overnight" introduction.  It'll at least be a start; how you deal with those already out there is a much bigger problem though - but at least you'll stop that problem from growing.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

A long snooze.  Good.

No piddlin' in the Pool for Bear today - I decided after yesterday's antics that an 0430 start wasn't a favourable idea so it's been postponed until another day.  I'm keen to crack on with work on Harry but it's been piddlin' down over Bear Towers overnight so the back garden isn't very inviting as yet - some sun is predicted during the day so I'm hoping it'll dry off soon enough.  Until then - more work on the documentation to go with the Beary Will - it's dangerously close to being finished now, just a bit of fine-tuning and checking really.

 

BG

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Unfortunately in video games if you shoot or knife someone.. they spring back to life when you restart the game.. 

 

My view is only the armed forces should be armed.. anyone with a gun or other form of "arms" should be gently volunteered to vebin the armed forces..

 

Today has no major plan..  but a trip to the Marie Celeste is required to try to book an appointment with Sister Drac. (It's less frustrating if you walk there than hanging on the phone for 40 minutes). 

 

Six electrical switches were wired up to some parallel bits of metal. 2 cheap Chinese made switches were U/s when connected up.. pah!

 

Time to gerronwithit as they say!

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Blue sky and sunshine here and it should be a mainly mild, dry, breezy and sunny day.  9°C rising to 16°C.

It would appear that my assistance may be required with some domestic tasks today.  Can't wait.  There may also be some gardening involved although the grass doesn't need cutting - it never does. I may vacuum it instead.  😂

Tea has been taken up to Herself so I expect she will shortly be on the rampage and advising me that it's "timetogettamoveon."

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Hours of continuous sunshine are forecast, but we are going out to another county. After breakfast , and hopefully after commuter and school traffic we are off to Bluewater in Kent so Aditi can have a Covid vaccine. We could have gone to Romford but it wasn’t a difficult choice. I am sure there will be time for lunch and I expect visits to various shops. We used to go to Bluewater frequently but all that stopped in 2019. My Dartford Crossing account is still valid. Some people didn’t respond to the log on and update payment messages last year and have been crossing assuming their accounts were in place.  
Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a rock where there is very little crime at all, never mind firearms crime.  Not totally unknown,  but nearly so.  11c and windy, showers, so an indoors domestic-y day looms. Pah.

 

I need to do one of those jobs I hate starting but like to see when finished - washing down then re-a[ppying the polish to the hard floorings in the hallway and kitchen.  As it's the same stuff that 'may' be used on certain models to provide a nice finish for applying deals to, I just may....  ;-)

Edited April 29 by New Haven Neil
speelink

[Winslow Boy]

32 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Morning, from a rock where there is very little crime at all, never mind firearms crime.  Not totally unknown,  but nearly so.  11c and windy, showers, so an indoors domestic-y day looms. Pah.

 

I need to do one of those jobs I hate starting but like to see when finished - washing down then re-a[ppying the polish to the hard floorings in the hallway and kitchen.  As it's the same stuff that 'may' be used on certain models to provide a nice finish for applying deals to, I just may....  ;-)

Two for the price of one. I like that attitude Neil. They say you can take the lad out of the North, but you can't take the North out of the lad.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

Couldn't get to sleep, then started falling asleep and waking up almost immediately.. then finally had 5 hours solid sleep, woke due to bladder control, returned to sofa, said to Ben not yet. Woke nearly 2 hours later...

 

Been out With the Ben the nice Collie who let me sleep in, grass very wet after yesterday's rain, he had a good wander around. He starts his new pills today, like now , swmbo has just walked in with his pills hidden in something he really scoffs down, we'll see what happens with that.

 

Major crime in this area is rare, most often it's out of area gangs seeing local shops / cash machines as an easy target and county lines drug gangs. Though with the aged population round here there cannot be much of a market for drugs... We're already prescribed them!!

 

Plans for today...

Lawn mower

 

Muggacoffee to finish 

Then

Time to put the overalls on.

 

 

 

 

[Hroth]

Up earlyish to avoid the school runs, grey, cool and calm out, went and dropped my local election postal vote in a Pillar Box.  It had a nice knitted cap in support of the RNLI with a crewed D class Inshore boat* bouncing across the top.

 

Then did some food shopping, and so home for brekky.

 

* The boat for the lifeboat station closest to the box!

 

[jjb1970]

Been glorious all day here, no rain (yet) and bright sunshine with a gentle breeze to keep it comfortable.  Probably pay for it tonight.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

That's it - flog guns so people can blast harmless cuddly bunnies yet protect the killer animals with laws.  Weird.

 

 

 

Not weird, rabbits are ferals that have no place here and cause devastation to crops and farming lands due to overgrazinge native and sown pastures, leading to loss of plant biodiversity and reduced crop yields.  They also compete with the much cuter native furry folk  for food and shelter, increasing grazing pressure and lowering the land's carrying capacity. 

 

(yes yes, man is the greatest feral here etc etc etc........yawn.)

 

Native animals, even the venomous ones on the other hand are part of the natural ecosystem and thats why  its illegal to kill any of them.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

Much of the problem in the US seems to be this "Right to bear Arms" in the Constitution

 

Easy for you to say, but you'd be the first to complain if you lost your right to Bear arms. Oh wait, you wouldnt be able to do it by letter though because you'd have no arms! LOL.

Edited April 29 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

I was just checking the traffic for our route to to the big shops. I looked at the last mile as I think we may head for a different car park. Anyway a couple of stores popped up as places of interest on Google maps. Out of all the stores at Bluewater on my map “Mappin & Webb”, and “Build a  Bear Workshop, Take home a new furry friend today” were specifically marked. I wonder if they pay for this or it is based on my cookies or similar. 

[monkeysarefun]

9 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Been glorious all day here, no rain (yet) and bright sunshine with a gentle breeze to keep it comfortable.  Probably pay for it tonight.

Same here, 28 and sunny again. That will  all change tomorrow apparently though with rain stretching as far as the forecast can see, up to 50mm on some days. Perfectly organised to avoid the just-gone long weekend though.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

My view is only the armed forces should be armed.. anyone with a gun or other form of "arms" should be gently volunteered to vebin the armed forces..

 

 

Plus Police/Law Enforcement - it's unfair to expect them to go up against the baddies with guns.

 

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

My Dartford Crossing account is still valid. Some people didn’t respond to the log on and update payment messages last year and have been crossing assuming their accounts were in place.  
 

 

Bear checked his a few weeks back and yes, the CC had expired and had to be updated.

 

42 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Major crime in this area is rare, most often it's out of area gangs seeing local shops / cash machines as an easy target and county lines drug gangs. Though with the aged population round here there cannot be much of a market for drugs... We're already prescribed them!!

 

 

I'd guess that thefts of farm machinery is a biggie.  Is that major?  Well yes, if it's an expensive Tractor etc.

 

5 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Native animals, even the venomous ones on the other hand are part of the natural ecosystem and thats why  its illegal to kill any of them.

 

But they're nasty scary bitey stingy things.....😱

[DaveF]

I slept for much of the night with one interval when I woke worried about something but this morning I can't really work out why I was worrying.

 

I've done my share of the housework, someone will come soon to the rest.  As I dusted and tidied I identified a few things to be got rid of so I may make a start on that.

 

I had a good look at curtain fabrics online yesterday evening and now have a short list of three which I like, any of them should tone in with the colour of the walls and they are easily washable - there aren't many dry cleaners around here any more.  So as soon as the man comes he can measure up while I make a final choice from his fabric samples.

 

This afternoon I am supposed to be going to an afternoon tea at the Masonic Hall, not organised by the masons, they hire the hall out during the week.

 

David

[Hroth]

 

Oh well, since rights to bear arms has been mentioned, its only right to impose the reciprocal, the right to arm bears.

 

It seems fair enough...

 

[polybear]

5 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

.......and “Build a  Bear Workshop, Take home a new furry friend today” were specifically marked. 

 

Or rescue a Bear from a Charity Shop instead; I was most dismayed to see that a rather nice Vintage Bear came away from the coal Drops yesterday without being adopted - and only a tenner as well (reduced to a fiver as the event progressed and sales were slow).  He must be really sad....😢