Anarchy in the UK

My next blog post was going to be about the Edinburgh festival. I went there for the first time on sunday. I was looking forward to telling you about how much I loved it, how amazing it was, and how i am going to have to move to Edinburgh in the future. But instead i feel compelled to rant about the current situation of rioting in the citys across the UK. Mostly this is because it makes me angry, and i feel powerless to do anything, and because I do love good rant.

So... What in Gods name is going on? Seriously? I have heard some fantastic quotes coming from people in the news over the last few days - blind, stupid idiots just proving time and time again they are just children, who know nothing. Heres a sample of some of the best:

"Its the goverments fault, the conservatives or who ever is in charge." (It helps to know who you are fighting against)

"Its about telling the police we can do whatever we want" (HELLLOOOOO The point of living in the "civilised" world is you can't do whatever you want, dumbass!!!)

"Its about the rich people, casue we have no money" (yeh, all those tenament blocks you are setting on fire, homes to single parents and old people, well known for being the richest people in socety)

 This is just getting stupid now. Lots of things are being blamed for this outbreak, I have a few ideas of my own. Firstly regarding social media - Teenagers have been bored and angry over the summer holiday for as long as there has been such a thing as teenagers and summer holidays. Sadly mobile technology and social networking has allowed these kids to group together. 3 kids on a street getting drunk and throwing things is annoying. 30 is a mob. Not a lot to be done about that, sadly. (although i would like to point out the Scottish police are arresting people as soon as the facebook about rioting - why has this not happened elsewhere?)

Secondly regarding young people being out of work - oh please, get a grip! Young people have never had much work, mostly because they don't want it. Being broke is not an exuse for looting, and the sooner a few of them get jailed for it the better. And While we are on the subject, yes i think a lot of these people should serve a lot of time in jail for what they are doing - too many of these kids are doing this because they think there will be no consequences. Watching their mates fail to get GCSE's because they have spent 6 months in jail should help solve that mentality.

And one final note of ranting - where the hell are these kids parents? Come on! If i had been out on the street at 11pm when i was a teenager my dad would have come out and dragged me in by my ear!!! And im only 23, we are not talking 20 years ago. I had a mobile, and facebook (i think i even had a myspace!), that didn't mean i felt the need to go out and riot! Above and beyond anything else I want to know what has happened to these kids parents? Why are they being silent through all of this? Surely if anyone is to blame for 200 minors being out on the streets causing chaos its the families who should be teaching their children responsibility.

So, rant over. As per-normal i blame everything on the parents. This could forseeability be the end of long summer holidays - no rioting past midnight when there is homework to do. The young people of this country have done some damage to there already tarnished reputations, damage i don't think could be undone for a very long time.

The Firemen in the Garden

As previously stated, interesting things don't happen to me often, but tonight something really interesting did happen! In the form of 3 firemen in the garden.



So it started with a BBQ. A very good BBQ - Indian rubbed pork chops and Satay Chicken. Afterwards I decided to do a little gardening, and took down a load of ivy. Well, it seemed the obviouse option. Hot BBQ, dead ivy.....

Problem was the coal wasn't very hot by this point, so decided to use a little white spirits to get it going. And Joni got a little over enthusiastic. And it got quite smoky. And it turns out the neighbours called the firemen!! The irony was the fire was out. I was already inside and Joni was on his way in when he heard someone bashing their way down the ally and shouting! Being the guilty type (he always has something to feel guilty about) Joni bolted into the house! So im leaning out the window asking what the fireman is doing stood in my garden, and he asked me is a saw some kid running past, when he points behind me and says "yeh him!" at Joni.

So one hell of an adrenaline kick later and there are 3 firemen in my garden explaining the neighbours called because there was lots of smoke and the smell of petrol. They didn't seem to mind being called out. Life as a fireman in Cupar is probably quite dull. Everything is normally to wet to catch fire around here.

So, fun evening!!!