What a day...

8 hours of work. I was feeling shattered after the first hour. The sound of an MP3 dictaphone beeping (every time I paused it or played it) really grinded me down.

At 12:30pm, I went and bought FIFA Manager 10. The man who served me, had previously told me it wasn't on the list of releases that were scheduled in the Game folder, but had assured me, if it was being released on the 30th of October, they'd have it. An individual instore was wearing full camoflauge, shaven sides of his head, mullet and poppy. I think of Mike Watt, followed by wondering if I should bump into him and claim I didn't see him, being camoflauged as he was.

It was £5 cheaper online.

I get home from work, rush straight out. To summarise that part, it rained and Bailey's of Dawlish sell expensive and unpleasant, chips. Do not buy chips (at least) from there.

I arrive home, drunk people parading down the street in 3 packs of 3-5 fluid individuals, shouting and doing things drunks do.

Next door has a car parked outside their house, with bottles and a bag of rubbish littered around it.

I am disagusted and unamused. I secretly wish I catch the individual going to their car and ordering them to pick up the litter. Unfortunately, something worse happens.

A little while later, a Renault Clio pulls up, an individual gets out and bangs on my neighbour's door and windows, demanding to be let in. As I peer outside, I hear 'Taliban' insults being hurled at them, whilst he is stood on my driveway.

I will not tolerate that at all and go straight out the door and tell him to get off my drive way. I do not swear, I do not mention his racist slur. I merely tell him to get off my driveway. He says he's talking to his friends. I now tell him to get off my neighbour's property. He calls me a dickhead and says I'm treating him as such. My mother, being a stupid fool rushes out to try and calm things down by telling him where the party is. However, he is a moron who could read the situation that my mother was frightened and so threatens to deck me. I was perfectly happy for him to dare to lay a finger on me, because I knew I had witnesses. That and I could take him. He continues to swear and act like he has cojones, but slinks off back to his car, making vague threats. So I taunt him and go back inside.

Then I phone the police.

The police are very interested when I mention the taliban bit. They don't care about witnesses to someone putting a rake through a windscreen, but racial provocation? That warrants a visit from the police, within an hour.

I hadn't even mentioned that the individual banged repeatedly on the glass, or that the driver of the vehicle got out of his car and also shouted abuse. I merely mentioned one word.

I feel pleased that something might actually be done about it, but saddened that racism is the reason why it gets that push. Such behaviour isn't acceptable whether racism is involved or not.

Bottles being thrown in the road, did not seem to concern the police, but racism does. I really wonder if there had been no racist element, if they'd have bothered to call me back.

Or was it that I gave them a car registration and a description, so it gives them a crime which is easily 'solved'?

Perhaps the biggest thing was that it was me who went out and did something. I'm frustrated that my mother and brother seemed more like quivering Mavises behind me, but pleased that, wearing a "Keep Calm and Carry On" t-shirt, I stood up for my community.

"So if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists" had always been a mixed message to me. Shooting nasty, evil, fascists in a war, is probably a good thing. I've always liked to think I could stand up against such people, but known I could never hurt a rabbit.

Maybe one doesn't require the other...

(Cut down from Stuart's extended ramblings.)