Bob, at 14:08 on May 23 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BL> I am sorry you feel so insecure.

BG> So would you, if your neighbour had been murdered by someone
BG> who's still at large, and if you had complete fuckwits driving
BG> around firing high-powered rifles half the night. Logan is the
BG> juvenile crime capital of Australia. 

BL> Actually, I wouldn't find Logan that insecure.

Oh really?  Try walking your dog around here then.  Go on.  :)

BL> I grew up in Newtown.

The violence of 40 years ago is nothing like the violence of today.

BL> We had a murder, several rapes, a suicide (very messy, he cut his
BL> throat) burglaries galore and wife-bashings every day of the week, not
BL> to mention drunk and disorderly as a way of life.

Welcome to Logan.  You'll be right at home here, I promise you.

BG> As far as I'm concerned, it is my basic human right to be able
BG> to protect myself and my family from predators, and if I need a
BG> gun for that, so be it. 

BL> Predators are a real worry... I suppose you mean that alien who
BL> nearly got Arnold Swartzenegger. It was lucky he had an SLR.

BG> Very droll.

BL> I liked it too. I rewrote it several times to get it just right.

You really needn't have bothered.  Honestly.  :)

BG> And if I remember rightly, it was actually a nuclear explosion
BG> which finally despatched the Predator in the movie of the same
BG> name anyway. 

BL> Serves him right for going nuclear. He should have stuck to his SLR,
BL> or his self-loading claw, anyway.

Not any more.  They're on the banned list as well...

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

--- MsgedSQ/2 3.30