A Few Wet Leaves From The Curate's Gutters

Apologies for the posting hiatus - we've just bought a (second-hand) imported Japanese people carrier, and I spent the last few days getting to grips with an automatic gearbox and working out how you shift the seats. It's a sad sight as I approach a junction to see my left hand flailing in vain for the non-existent gear lever.

I don't have any views on what's happening in France one way or the other, so Clive Davis is as good a roundup of opinion as you could wish. What I have noticed is the BBC/Guardian reaction to it, as has the Dumb One.

The bit that got me was where various pundits were wheeled out on Radios Four and Five to say 'Thank God nobody's been killed. Had that happened, we'd really have a problem'.

Of course they weren't talking about burning disabled women on buses. They were worried in case any of the rioters were killed.

We're back to the BBCs view of criminals.

"Don't be nasty to them - you'll only make them worse".