Waterstones: Books and so much more

--- one of the 'more' things apparently on display being a great sense of humour as (hopefully) another one of those images which apparently come from Waterston's and should carry a 'put down your drink before looking' warning as it makes the stuff come out of your nose when you start laughing.

This one is just sublime - Thank you guys (proud to have a loyalty card with you):

Locked in a bookshop - Foyles respond!

Texan tourist, David Willis, found himself locked inside a Waterstones bookshop for two hours after it closed while he was still browsing the shelves. Now although this is one of my dream situations, Mr Willis wasn't perhaps as keen to remain and so, having tweeted regarding his predicament:

"Hi Waterstones, I've been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for two hours now. Please let me out."

It worked and he was finally released from the shop after a couple of hours.

Foyles (another place of pilgrimage for me since the late sixties) showed they have a sense of humour with the tweet:

"Don't worry @Waterstones - we had one too. #happenstothebestofus"

And this great image:

UK Riots - not bookish sorts

I was quite surprised by one of the BBC's accounts of the looting of shops in that, 'Looters cleared the stock of Currys, Claire's Accessories & Phones4U, nearby Waterstone's was left 'without a scratch'!"

Seems that earrings, mobiles, White goods and electronic consumer goods define those who seek to engage in out of hours shopping (AKA looting). So it seems that the assessments of the experts in that those who are doing the stealing are an educated and marginalised unemployed bunch of the poorest in our nation. So, taking into account the views of others:

• if we remove those who are caught from social housing, remove their housing benefits and take away all and any other benefits they might receive - how fo we address the issues of this underclass?

• if they have nowhere to live and no income, how will they get the money to live other than by theft (for they will become untouchables and uneanted) and do the response fuels the very acts that we condn.

• what lessons will the children of the new underclass learn? Having seen the way other
marginalised groups (taking as a 'for example' the case of Tinker/Traveller families) are received and the way they live within communities, it seems that neither side will see anything that enhances, or remedies, the situation!

This is not about underclasses but about thriving classes and we need some joined up, literate and balanced responses, notify 'flogging, jailing, or whatever'

Pax

postscript

Been thinking and praying things through and wonder how we touch those who engage in rioting and other anti-social acts both on terms of punishment and Christian endeavour?