I suppose we'll have to send the men there and that will turn the whole thing on it's head.

I was deliberately giving an extreme example but how far do you have to scale it back until it is socially acceptable (for want of a better phrase) to preemptively commit physical violence? When is a threat a real physical threat and not merely a perceived threat? You can't make legislation that is contingent on a person's perception. The act of trolling should not be illegal and it should be up to the party who feel's threatened to take it to court if they so wish whereupon the clowns there will decide if there was a real threat or not.

The united colours of Hazel Bennetton strikes again!

dem's fightin' words. Why I oughta...biff, bash, crack, doof etc.

Um, problem with this is the guy reaching for his wallet shot dead by the cop who thought he was reaching for a gun. Perception is hugely flawed. You might think you are defending yourself...

Whatever about the pros or cons of the leglislation proposed and possible punishment I find that the English seem to be getting more and more insular and nationalistic when it comes to the internet. Their politicians don't seem to get the idea that it is not their internet. It's almost like the empire they didn't have and are somehow miffed at losing control that they never had over it. But, it is the same everywhere. Politicians are clueless arseholes. Not sure if it is the summary that is at fault here, but you can't tar all trolls with the same brush. Surely trolling runs the gamut from playful pisstake to bullying and death threats - from merely annoying to genuinely frightening - but if I post the Golden Girls song here now - am I a criminal? OK, probably yes...I'll have to think about this some more...

Are they building these ships with plastic? I think not. Then surely it is more like Meccano (or Erector Set to the yanks).

choking it?

Interesting. The last place I worked shut down after a horrible series of financial problems. I figured I could continue with some of my customers to get their work done - BUT - my ex-boss had his lawyer call me to tell me not to call on any customers. The really ugly part of this was that this same lawyer was my divorce lawyer. How fucked up is that? So I was effectively shut out from pursuing the kind of work I had been doing for almost 20 years. Nice old boss, eh? I had never signed anything - but being taken to court was something I couldn't risk. Five months unemployed and finally landed a job doing something very different. What is one supposed to say? It's all for the best? Everything turned out OK in the end? These experiences definitely wear away one's sense of self worth.

Yes, but in the US there is Cobra, so you get to pay a huge amount of money to have health insurance while you are unemployed! Awesome!

First it is a 'safety hammer' then it is 'nothammer'. Can't you people make up your minds?!

Ha, ha - yes - the way I heard it was that 'hire at will' protects both the employer and the employee! As if to reassure the working stiffs that they are neither slaves nor indentured servants and can work for whom ever they please. Job security my arse!

And then there are those of us who don't like ale at all - especially American ale. This country is still 'in recovery' from prohibition when it comes to beer, IMHO.

Steady on old chap. Here: your 3,251st and last beverage. After that, be on your way home.

Sorry, not enough. Looks like I'll just die at the same age as someone who doesn't drink at all.