Posts by Matthew Poole
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Oh, right. You're talking about real history, as opposed to just recent history.
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The laws referred to are the other, supposedly non-jackbooted-in-origin laws.
Such as? ASBOs are particularly awful tools, even by the standards of the most-surveilled nation on earth. From the Wikipedia article: "A person was forbidden to make excessive noise during sex anywhere in England."
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On the whole thing of being self-conscious, acting is a sure-fire cure. For my recent birthday, a couple of (male) friends got their girlfriends to go and buy me a bra (coral pink, 14A) as a joke gift. The males were, apparently, very concerned that I might be offended by the gift. When I heard this from one of the purchasing women, I told her that she should've bet them $50 each as to whether or not I'd put it on. She would've won $100 on that one, given that I did indeed put it on. In the middle of a crowded New Lynn restaurant.
When I advised another friend about the concern, she said that her bet would've been as to whether I'd put it on properly, or put it on my head.Shame? What's that?!
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Ah thespians, always keen to get their kit off, if the part requires
And even if it doesn't. I doubt there's a theatre in existence that hasn't had its share of carnal indulgences.
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Keir, I was meaning Labour as opposed to the current term.
And who said rioters don't have rights? Where this discussion appears breaking down is the apparent belief that it's unreasonable for the police to enforce the laws surrounding disorderly public behaviour, engaging in dangerous behaviour, and breaching the liquor ban. Whatever the merits of liquor control laws, the controls on people endangering the safety of other persons or their property are normally considered to be perfectly justifiable.
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Steve, it appears that the burning of couches in the middle of the street isn't at all an old tradition. So, you were saying?
My point is that things that are dangerous to uninvolved persons shouldn't be considered sacrosanct just because they're "traditions". If you want to continue a tradition of dancing around the May Pole, go for your life. Do it in traditional garb, even. But don't expect me to support you if you want to get blotto and then drive yourself home in keeping with other "traditions".
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No, Sofie, shouting at you WOULD LOOK RATHER MORE LIKE THIS.
Maybe the pro theatre crowd do it rather differently, but I know that back before DUI was mostly considered socially-unacceptable the amateurs would drive themselves home in the small hours after partying all night. More than one has observed that it was no small miracle that nobody got killed on their way home from such parties.
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Driving under the influence was a tradition too, Sofie. Getting absolutely plastered and then taking your own car home from the pub was a rite of passage. Same with theatre cast-and-crew parties, from the stories I've been told by fellow techs and thespians, and doubtless the same with sporting clubs. Do we accept that such a tradition should continue, untrammelled by society's desire to reduce harm to others, just because it's a tradition? Like fuck we do!
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Oh, and Sofie, we don't have ASBOs here. That particular spot of fascism hasn't made it beyond the shores of the UK, and long may it continue. The laws about assemblies where those uninvolved may fear for the safety of themselves or their property long pre-date the jackboot behaviour of the current UK government.
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Why the hell aint anyone ever charged for burning down houses in the middle of the night?
They aren't? Really? I'm sure the cops who're investigating that latest arson will be rather put-out to hear that you've decided that nobody will be charged for it.
If nobody is put before a court for it, it is unlikely to be through lack of trying on the part of the police. Arson is traditionally a very difficult crime to solve in the absence of a narrow suspect profile. In this case, the suspect profile is enormous and it's unlikely that there'll be much in the way of evidence pointing to the perpetrator.