On crime, bras, coffee, topless and nipples...

Pardon the title.

As crime rises and gets more sophisticated, one must keep the new and innovative thinking of preventing and surviving from it.

In Malaysia, where snatch theft case has doubled and is the biggest jump in the crime categories, the police is using the combined efforts (of various departments). As surprised as I am to learn that, I hope this will not be another traffic-jam-causing roadblocks. In addition, KL City Hall has proposed to build pedestrian bridges and plant trees along pavements to prevent snatch thefts. While women are also advised to choose their handbags wisely.

A little root cause analysis would really help... I think now I understand why a lot of Singaporeans are concerned about safety in Malaysia.

The types of crime in Detroit are different and a bit more serious as it involves firearms. I'm not sure what the cops are doing, but a woman avoided serious injury from a gunshot - thanks to her bra. That's right. The bullet struck the underwire on the woman's bra and that saved her from a more serious injury, police said. Of course, some bra wires are made of steel.

I wonder if Vivid Entertainment will come up with a "based on true event" movie.

Speaking about bra, or the lack of it - coffee seems to get a momentum for raising its fans base. The Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Maine started serving coffee, topless, since the beginning of this year. I drink coffee; it's a good enough reason to pay a visit. The sign says: "Over 18 only. No camera, no touching, cash only". Sounds like going to a gentlemen club, eh? See it yourself.

Do they offer franchising opportunities...? Ouch, the coffee shop was just burned down earlier this week.

Or perhaps in Japan, where topless seems to be just another part of life... and entertainment. Bored with the traditional tug-of-war or the all-time favorite flag football? Try nipple flag challenge! Yes, it does involve nipples, flags, tug-of-war, and Japanese. Sadly, this is not a team-based game, so it is very unlikely to be included in any of corporate outing games.

Pardon the topics as well.

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Gun ownership - reduce or increase incidents?

I was wondering how effective the gun policy is in the U.S. or other countries that legalize gun ownership. I think it contributed to the recent Virginia Tech incident.

The policy of legal gun ownership and control has perhaps been debated since the birth of the gun itself.

There are two arguments - for and against legal gun ownership. One argues that we need guns to protect ourselves against criminals, or that gun ownership is part of constitutional rights. One can also argue that if guns are banned, we need not to worry about having guns.

One argument for legal gun ownership is that it saves lives. It sounds ridiculous, but that's what statistics tell, says National Center of Policy Analysis, a U.S. non-profit organization.

I think the statistics showcase more on the illegal ownership of guns. How many incidents have been related to legally-owned weapons? Not as many as the illegal ones, I presume. Those that are well-known include Columbine until the recent Virginia Tech incidents. And another incident yesterday at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

How about in countries where gun ownership is not (publicly?) legal? Like in Indonesia with Tommy Suharto and Adiguna Sutowo, for example. Or like in Malaysia with the murder of a Mongolian model. All three involved guns and related to elite or politicians.

It's logical to assume that these shooting incidents will increase if gun ownership is legalized.

With the speed the world is going today, there will be stressed people and lunatics out there. A lot of them. Don't equip them with guns. Gun ownership should be made illegal.

Update:
- Mass shootings more common since 1960s.
- Ria Wibisono has concern over similar bullying practice (and racism) in Indonesia, which she expressed on Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia.

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