One woman's meat is another man's poison.

It's raining and so I have put off again checking the boat battery bank. So I had a good read of various other canal boat blogs today. I think we bloggers all spend some time reading our own favourite boating and non boating blogs. Often we gain some inspiration from reading other blogs to generate tomorrows posting. Occasionally we come across an article covering a subject we have written about, that has a different or opposing viewpoint to our own. Today, was one of those days.

Sue on Nb Chertsea writes in her blog, Don't call me....... And I won't call you either.  (You can read it the full text by clicking the link) Sue writes a piece which has a different view to my own on the subject of modern communications. A subject that I touched on a few blog pages back.

Sue says "For maybe seventy years, the phone was a necessary evil. But now, thanks to email and the wonders of SMS, it simply isn't necessary any more." The problem is that SMS (simple message system) is reliant  on mobile-phones to work.  What's more SMS is also available on our land-line. So its not such a clear cut distinction after all.

The gist of Sue's posting is that text messages and email are a good thing. That maybe acceptable in her particular circumstances. However, I would contend that we do live in a joined up world, but increasingly we live our "joined up lives" in isolation behind a computer screen. Emails often replace the normal day-to-day contact with people in the same building. Replacing even a simple walk along the corridor and a normal conversation. Our children seem to be unable to hold a normal eye-to-eye conversation amongst their peer group. Unless it it is through the medium of a mobile phone or SMS text message. What's more worrying is that a mobile phone is now considered to be an essential part of our children's school equipment.

Sue continues "The visual cues which contribute so much to communication are totally absent. Now, I know this is also true of written communication, but the thing is, we know that's not a conversation; we approach it differently and make allowances for its inadequacies."

Yet we have technology like Skype, which offers a visual link for the visual cues. A system that can stitch together, our voice and the video from a web-cam. Even the news which is presented from far distant regions of the Earth in just this way. 

Sue continues "A phone conversation on the other hand, is merely an inadequate conversation, an emasculated, shadow of one."

I would contend that an inadequate conversation is better than no conversation. Our children use "Text" to communicate even though it has a limited character count. They now use the same principal to communicate with a limited character count when they "Tweet".  Young people are conditioned in this way, that they now feel the need to text and have phone conversations whilst driving, risking their life and the lives of others.

Here we both are, Sue and myself, blog writing an open ended communication, intended for a readership group of unknown individuals. Individuals who may or may not read or pass comment on the content. We strive to elucidate our viewpoint, because we don't understand the background of the readership other than an interest in blogs or canal boats. If we had both been brought up and educated in the culture of the "Tweet" and "Text" would we have the life skill and understanding to be able to put across our point. The paradox is, that at the same time we are not diametrically opposed in our views.

Later....

Autumnal mornings.

Every morning before I set off for work I take Poppy for a walk unless the weather is dire. As the nights get longer, so the available morning light gets shorter and shorter. Until I seem to set off at the break of dawn. Most mornings are featureless and grey, this seems to set the tone for the rest of my day. However, some mornings are also accompanied by spectacular sunrises.

I'm not sure if the sunrise has any effect on Poppy as she is seemingly fixated on chasing after a ball. But the more spectacular daybreaks seem to have an effect on me. They add a spring to my step and give me a nice warm feeling that all is well in my world. This feeling of well-being can sometimes last until I reach my place of work. It is at this point when all the well being is drained away by the effort to get all the pigs in flight. Porcine avionics is fast becoming a speciality of mine.

I found out last night that the frogs are back, well I am not sure if they actually went away. However, if they did, then the frogs are certainly back in larger numbers and are a tour de force to be  reckoned with. We have a few permanent residents in and around the garden pond. These little reptile anti-slug wardens seem to be there all the time and grow quite large on a feast of slugs, fish food and various insects. In return for eating their food, the fish seem to enjoy a diet of frog-spawn whenever they get the chance. But I digress.

Last night there was a knock on the door and there stood a pretty little thing, a bit wet and bedraggled and looking for sponsorship for some charity or other. She immediately launched into a well rehearsed script, with all the psychological prompts for me to agree with. All prior to moving in for the sponsorship kill.

Being an old campaigner I am well versed at letting them run off at the mouth and then just saying no thanks. Suddenly, there was a stutter in the prologue as one of the frogs hopped into view. That was the termination of the well rehearsed patter, which then gave way to the patter of her feet as she beat Poppy to the gate. So if she returns at some point in the future, she would be better to come on the morning of one of the more spectacular daybreaks. She is going to have to get up early to pull one over on me, and to find a bit more charitable well-being in this crusty old curmudgeon.

Later .....

Personal Ad

We paid a flying visit to Rosie at the marina on Monday night. On our way home through Wentworth, we spotted a small dog in something of a distressed state. We stopped and the dog came speeding over to meet us. Weaving its way through moving traffic. All it was wanting to do was to get as close as physically possible. One very frighted and distressed little dog!

We did not realise it at first, but the dog was covered from head to foot in some evil smelling liquid. It was at that point that we tried to maintain a little distance whilst we tried to assess the situation, but it was too dark. So, I picked her up, the Memsahib got a travel rug out of the boot to wrap the dog in. The dog then travelled back home with us, being reassured all the way by Mags.

On arrival, I went in ahead to move Poppy out of the way and to set the shower running. We brought the very smelly dog in, put it straight in the shower. After we gave it a quick wash down. Out of the muck and mire emerged a very attractive white and tan Jack Russell bitch. We popped the dog into Poppy's old puppy cage and set about cleaning ourselves up. Mags had to strip off all her clothes and get them in the wash. Quickly followed by her fleece jacket and the travel rug out of the car etc.

We gave her the quick once over and there was no sign of injury, so we offered her some food - it did not touch the sides. This was followed by a drink, which she had a small amount. Then we popped her back in the cage whilst we fed Poppy her evening meal. It was then time to think about us, so we had to pay a visit to Tesco to top-up the empty fridge. We had the windows down all the way there and back to help "freshen up" the interior!

We already knew that the police no longer take any interest in "lost dogs". So with a feeling of Déjà vu, its back to phoning the local dog warden and paying a visit to the local vet tonight to see if she is micro chipped. The last lost soul that we  rescued, was a cat called we called Monty. The one prior to that was a stunning German Shepard dog called Bonnie who we eventually re-homed with her new found friends Paul and Carol.

We eventually took the dog to the vet and had her scanned for a micro-chip. However there was non to be found! So we have now reported her to the dog warden service in Rotherham and Barnsley which are the two areas close to where she was found. We have given her a short term name - and it is "Doris" that we have chosen for her. It just suits her personality, so Doris it is. We will be putting up a few posters close to where we found her, in the hope that we can find her owners.

So in the event that we cannot find her owners, and Doris has to be placed for re-homing.

Personal Ad: One small, dog and cat friendly, very gentle, fun loving, house trained, boat sized, non-smoker, complete with fur coat and big personality, no baggage. Who would like to meet that special someone for companionship and outings. With a view to becoming a valued crew member.

Since I posted the above - Doris has now become "Aileen" and we have now traced her owners. It seems she was out on a walk when she chased off after something and became lost. Her family are coming to collect her tonight.


Later....

anti-social behaviour.

I was sorry to read on the Canalworld Forum  about an unpleasant situation experienced by a family on their boat, perpetrated by a lout on a hire boat. More than that I was surprised by a willingness by some people on the forum to accept what had happened . In essence it was a case of hit and run, failing to stop which eventually led to a deliberate and provocative case of anti-social behaviour.

I have had experience of a similar unpleasant situation that took place in March this year. At the time I did nothing, however in hindsight I realised that if we don't stand together collectivly and have a zero tolerance attitude to this problem, things will only get worse.

Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 creates the distinct offence of intentional harassment, alarm or distress. Under section 5,1 a & b


The offence is created by section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986:

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he:

(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or

(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby."

This is a summary offence. It is punishable with a fine not exceeding £1,000.

I was wondering what the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) think about such anti-social behaviour?

Ref:070/10     September 23, 2010
ACPO response to HMIC report on anti-social behaviour

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Edens ACPO lead on anti-social behaviour said: “Chief officers are acutely aware of the devastating impact anti-social behaviour can have in neighbourhoods when it is not tackled, particularly where repeat and vulnerable victims are involved. We will continue to work tirelessly to improve our response. What this report highlights is that where there is police action, victim satisfaction in the police response to anti-social behaviour is high. As HMIC recognises, modern policing has to meet a hugely complex range of challenges. Tackling anti-social behaviour must be achieved alongside keeping people safe through less visible parts of policing such as tackling serious organised crime or terrorism. Anti-social behaviour is not a matter for the police to tackle alone, and the service supports the Government’s approach to encouraging greater personal and community involvement in neighbourhoods.”

ACPO have an Assistant Chief Constable leading on this issue. The Police can't tackle anti-social behaviour unless the wider community get involved. You get involved by reporting any instance anti-social behaviour. I don't think it can be made much more plainer than in the above ACPO Press release.


However, its not the first time ACPO have published a press release on ASB.

Ref:017/10   March 11, 2010

ACPO statement on anti-social behaviour

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Edens the ACPO lead on anti-social behaviour.said: "Chief Officers recognize that what people want most for the community in which they live, is to feel safe in the homes they live in, and on the streets they walk. We know that anti-social behaviour matters to the public and that the police service is the only 24-hour, 365 day per year resource that the public can turn to. Of the 3,600 neighbourhood policing teams across the country, most if not all of them will have anti-social behaviour as a top or high priority. Information sharing is critical to dealing effectively with ASB and that includes between local partners as well as within the police service. As policing prepares for straitened financial times difficult decisions on priorities lie ahead and it is vital that others, including councils, housing providers and parents continue to work closely with us if we are to improve our response to the public in this crucial area. As a police service we are universally committed to a local focus on policing which deals with what matters in every street and neighbourhood."

A further press release issued in 2009 also highlighted that the police wanted such issues to be brought to their attention.

Ref:122/09   November 20, 2009

ACPO comment on anti-social behaviour funding

Chief Constable Julie Spence, ACPO lead on citizen focus said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour is an important responsibility of the police. The police service as a whole does not tolerate anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood policing teams remain dedicated to tackling it. Very often, police are the only resource that the public can turn to 24 hours, 365 days a year. A partnership approach will ensure victims are getting enough support. Police, local councils and communities must continue to work together to ensure people acting anti-socially are dealt with appropriately. Effective data sharing arrangements between partners are critical in order to ensure vulnerable members of the public are identified and protected. People should feel secure in their communities and the police service will continue working hard to ensure vulnerable people are safe."

Now I know why the Police are keen to get their teeth into some of the Anti-Social Element.

It came as something of a surprise to hear on the radio. That most Police forces stand accused of failure over dealing with and recording anti-social behaviour. The chief inspector of constabulary (Denis O'Connor) has been critical of the way the police in England and Wales deal with complaints of anti-social behaviour. O'Connor said "The failure to properly record and tackle incidents undermined confidence in the police" He also called for urgent improvements. His comments came as the inspectorate published "report cards" on the performance of all 43 of the UK forces. The inspectorate found the way police databases logged information about reports of harassment, vandalism and verbal abuse was "inadequate". Most police computer systems were unable to identify people who had been victims before or had previously been categorised as "vulnerable". Mr O'Connor said: "It is like going back to the doctors' surgery but you see a different doctor every time. The more times they suffer the less confidence people have. There are some heart-rending stories."




Later....

Billy Goat Stuff!

I was minded today of an incident from the past.  The memory was triggered by Andrew on his Granny Buttons blog who has published a picture of a "Guard Goat" that he took a few years ago. My story is also from a few years ago and goes something like this.  Alan who is an old friend of mine had his own fabrication business based in Doncaster. There they kept a large Billy Goat on site, who's main job was to keep the grass and other herbage round the car park in check.

One day a sales representative calls in unannounced to try and sell his wares. Alan suggests to the sales representative that he might want to move his car as it was close to where the goats shed was and Billy was not tethered up. The sales representative declined saying it would not be a problem. He then followed Alan into the workshop. However, on his return he found that his car was quite extensively damaged. The old Billy goat on seeing his own reflection in the door panels had tried to head butt the interloper.

This was not the first time that this had happened.

Another charming trick the old Billy used to do was to eat cigarette ends that were still lit. He was also known to be an excellent guard goat after closing time. The local police when things were a bit quiet would have a bit of fun with their new recruits by getting them to enter the workshop yard of an evening to check for intruders. 

They did this without telling the new recruits about Billy. However, his most vile trick was to twist himself round to "obtain a mouthful of his own urine" which he would then spit at anyone he took a dislike to. Whenever Billy twisted round everyone started running - I think Billy the kid was just taking the piss!

Later....