Random Rants

[Cortona]

Buleste, if eBay haven't contacted you then I suspect that this moron is just bullshi++ing you. I hope that is the case.

You don't need this kind of crap, do you.

I am still waiting for my 3.5" internal floppy drive I bought on eBay. Maybe tomorrow...

[Buleste]

eBay have removed the negative feedback which goes to show that if you pay them enough (in fees of course) they'll do anything for you.

[Buleste]

Anyone has an eBay account they can use to spam this moron with awful scores?

I could not possibly condone this action. However if someone wishes to do it I cannot stop them.

[Teho]

So what is wrong with people these days? Last night me and some friends enjoyed a couple of beers at a local bar. Ok, more than a couple. Had a great a night out, was delightfully dizzy and stupid as we stumbled home in the early hours. Great night for us. Turns out, as we were having a great time inside earlier that night, some poor bastard got beaten to death right outside.

Beaten to death. A guy in his late thirties, father of two. As far as I know I don't know the guy, but damn. It was happening right outside where I was enjoying some beers, while I was there. And I never even knew before I saw it in the news earlier today. How sick is that?

But what the hell is going on with people these days? I mean, fights break out all the time in the weekends, they always did before too. But it used to be small scuffles. Could get violent, sure, but people would walk away from it with bruises, perhaps needing a few stitches. Sometimes some unfortunate guy broke something. These days it seems it's not about just hurting the other guy till he quits anymore, now it seems it's only about causing serious injury, the more the better. I've always tried to avoid fights, but the few times I've ended up in trouble with someone I've never feared for my life. Worst case scenario I'd have to take a beating, but that was it. But nowadays? I've seen fights break out now and seen how people go at it, and it's definitely a lot more violent than it used to be. Before it used to be just about teaching the other guy a lesson, but now? They're actually trying to do permanent damage now. What's that about? I mean what's the point? It's usually over trivial matters too.

I don't get it. I think I'm glad I don't go out as often as I used to anymore.

[Harrison]

It is quite scary how often we are now hearing about such crimes. In the UK someone seems to be stabbed to death for no reason nearly every week. It's getting really bad.

But what is the cause? I don't like to sound racist, but looking at each stabbing in the UK the majority are young black guys of an African origin. Why? And many stabbings turn out to be gang related, or someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got stabbed by someone in a gang.

But equally there are the completely pointless random stabbings. In Southampton recently someone was stabbed to death walking through a park. They were not doing anything, just walking, and someone jumped them and stabbed them to death.

I just don't know what is happening to people any more!

[Cortona]

I feel crap about living in a sick society where it seems there's nothing you can do about it.

Who knows what the cause is? I'm sure our elders would say that every generation is less respectful than the last. I'd be inclined to agree. Maybe the more we are exposed to crime or certain types of behaviour the more imune and accepting we are of it until kids end up stabbing each other to death because they've seen it a million times on the news and glamourised in movies.

Personally I'd also blame the creeping Americanisation of European cultures, especially in the UK. It's nothing short of disgusting, really, but that is just my personal opinion. No offence to any Yanks who might read this.

[Harrison]

I definitely think a large part of it is down to the lack of discipline and in turn respect for elders.

The only solution to sort out the youth of today who are causing most of the problems is to reintroduce national service, so they all have to spend two years in the army once they leave school. However I expect it would now be too expensive for the government to implement, as it would impact too much on their expenses funds.

[Buleste]

I don't think National Service would make that much of a difference. I didn't do national service and I would never go out and pick fights in fact I'm proud of the fact I've not hit anyone in anger since 1985. The problem at least two fold. Lack of discipline at home (and by discipline I don't mean hitting or smacking) and certainly in the U.K. there is no local policing. When kids get grounded is it really a punishment sending a kid to their room when they have mobiles, playstations, TV's, DVD's etc? Take all the fun stuff out of their room, tell them to stay their and think about what they've done. As for the policing, they spend more time in cars than they do on the street. Sure we have PCSO's but everyone knows they can't do anything. If you see a police officer in the area you will be less likely to do anything illegal. The biggest thing is though to reform the Human Rights act. Once you break the law you lose all but the basic of human rights (food, drink, shelter, medical care and the right not to be tortured) because you violated other peoples human rights. That way when people are punished for committing a crime they are punished, offer them a chance to reform if they want one but make sure they know they've done something wrong.
I could go on about this for hours but TBH it's one of those kind of problems we've all solved down the pub with our mates having a drink (making sure we don't get stabbed on the way home of course) and I've not got a beer in my hand so my bloods not quite boiling enough.

[Harrison]

Another big issue that you just touched on is the powers that the police don't have. If you watch the police documentaries, or the car chasing ones, you see these kids and teenagers being chased and stopped in cars. Most of the time they have no license, tax, mot, insurance etc... or the car is dodgy or stolen, and they normally have warrants out for their arrest for skipping a court hearing or some similar thing, or they are found with drugs in the car. Often the police know them by name or remember picking them up previously.

And what happens to all these people? Often at the end of it the voice over states something like the courts couldn't prove anything so they were never charged, or they were given a 3 month suspended sentence, or they never turned up for their court hearing. And even when they do get sentenced it is ridiculously short. For example stealing a car, driving through a load of red lights down the wrong side of a series of roads chased by police cars and helicopters, and what do they get? 3 months with a 2 year driving ban! Yeah, that's really going to teach them

[Sharingan]

Law in western countries generally is far too lenient. I wouldn't even call the sentences we see nowadays 'punishment' - more like, free lodging, TV and meals. Hardly a deterrent for the crooks out there.

Bring back the death sentence for murderers. Cut off the hands of thieves. Castrate rapists. Voila ... dramatically reduced crime rates.