012: Dave - UK Copper

It's refreshing to read a blog that gives real-life accounts of the world the author lives in. There are many blogs on the net today that fluff about and create stories and embellish the truth to get readers, hits or publicity. David from UK Copper is not one of these authors.

His blog is a strikingly accurate and stinging account of the modern police force in the UK. His dry wit and humour has many people following his blog and his book Wasting Police Time has been released to rave reviews.

BV: Firstly Dave, thanks for joining me on BloggerView to answer a few of my questions. My brother used to be a copper here in Australia, and he told me part of the reason he left the force was that "I'm sick of dealing with the dregs of society". I've heard a few of his stories over a few beers and some of them make your hair curl.
Before you joined the force, were you aware the depths of degeneracy the human race can go to?

I wouldn’t like to say that I see degeneracy on a wide scale every time I go to work, it's more mundane than that. I suppose that before I joined the police, I thought that people called the police for more significant matters than they actually do. I certainly didn't think I'd be dealing with a bank robbery every day, I just thought I would be dealing with criminality, as opposed to stupidity. That said, I do see drug addicts and their way of life; the intravenous injection, the blagging, the begging and the thievery sickens me, as does the benign neglect of children whose parents are either too stupid or lazy to do their parental duty.

BV: As I mentioned earlier my brother joined the force. The reason he did was, he used to work at a petrol station and was held up at gunpoint during a graveyard shift. This obviously scared the shit out of him and he vowed to stop the types of people who did this. What was the conduit for you joining the force?

I wish I could say it was something dramatic. Sadly it wasn't. I worked in a big auto plant for many years and before that was at university. I had always been interested in crime and justice and the police were recruiting at that time, so I applied. I've always favoured an interesting job rather than a well-paid one (good job too).

BV: Your blog focuses on highlighting the sometimes-farcical red tape and rigmarole that the average UK copper has to go through in his line of duty. I'm sure most of my readers don't know what it's like to have your hands tied like this. What's it feel like to not be able to do your job properly because of this admin nightmare?

It's a massive shock when you join up, but I found a way round it - to actually embrace it and laugh about it. Seriously though, if I ever thought about it I would shudder, especially as up to 80% of my time is spent doing it. In the end you're a professional, so you do what's expected of you, even though you know it's a waste of time.

BV: For all the bad points about being a UK copper, there must be something that you love about the job? Can you share with me what that is?

Yesterday I had a fight with a drug dealer, found some drugs on him and sent him straight to jail. A few weeks ago I chased and caught someone stealing scrap metal from a workshop. I've successfully investigated frauds worth tens of thousands of pounds. I've helped people drive to locations by using my local knowledge. These are all things I enjoy doing and things that make the job worthwhile. It comes down to catching crooks and helping people - that's what is worthwhile. It doesn't have to be the crime of the century either.

BV: I have recently interviewed Stephen J. Dubner from Freakonomics and he said to me that the point in his book that created a lot of controversy was the correlation between the legalisation of abortions and a drop in crime rate. Do you think he may have a point here?

I haven't read the book, so I can't comment specifically on the theory, although the crime rate correlates to lots of things. My experience is that criminals commit crime for two reasons: 1- It's easier than working for a living and 2- You're unlikely to get caught and punished. So, if you're bone idle and have little regard for authority then I suppose you're more likely to break the law. Sadly, all of these theories about crime have little impact, I suppose you could say that the crime rate has risen along with the number of excuses experts dream up for those who commit it.

BV: If you could create a system to deal with crime quickly and efficiently, how do you imagine this working? Eye for an eye, bring back public floggings perhaps?

There are no easy answers unfortunately. We cannot deal with crime and simultaneously address the conflicting demands of on the one hand liberals who want fewer and easier punishments and most of the public who want criminals in jail more often and for longer. One thing's for sure though: you will not deter criminals by being easier on them.

BV: Between all the paperwork, enquiries and mundane daily grind of being a UK copper, there has to be a few thrills and spills. Has there ever been a point in your job where your adrenalin is running 110%... tell us about this day?

I caught a sex-offender once. Sadly, I can't go into too many details, but involved a foot chase and of all the people out and about looking for this guy, it was me who found him. There's nothing like the chase to make things all worthwhile. I also remember on one occasion running after a guy who had stolen a CD; we must have gone a mile or so before he gave up and when he did, I said, "Bloody hell mate, I hope you're tired 'cos I'm f***ing knackered."

BV: The police are here to stop crime; we know this, it’s part of our lives. The age-old question of how do we prevent crime comes up again and again by governments, family groups and other organisations. As someone who deals with crime and the people who perpetrate these crimes on a daily basis, what's one thing you think we as parents, bloggers and general punters could do to help you prevent crime or do your job better?

1. Your kids don't need expensive toys or holidays. They only need one thing: YOUR TIME.
2. Get married, buy your own house and don't get drunk too much.
3. Buy a gun.
4. Don't believe the government.

Thanks so much for joining us this week Dave, you’ve provided a fascinating insight into being a cop in the UK.

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If you liked this interview BloggerView also recommends:-
Steve Lacey - Random Thoughts
Stephen J. Dubner - Freakonomics
Drew - The Crochet Dude

Coming up this week; The fuzz, coppers and the boys in blue – it's UK Copper.

You know when someone tells you about their job they usually talkabout all the good bits? "Yeah, I'm travelling to Spain at the end of the year and pick up my new company car tomorrow" - you know those types!

Even the best jobs have a component that sucks. The paperwork, picking up coffee for the boss or that dickhead security guy that touches you in places that he shouldn't... erm... enough about my work. This week we welcome UK Copper. This blogger gives light to the interesting and sometimes dreary life of a British police officer.

UK Copper has set out to make people aware of the amount of red tape and rigmarole the average UK copper has to go through every day. This greatly reduces their capacity to fight crime and bust heads. Don't miss this week's interview with UK Copper.

011: Stephen J. Dubner - Freakonomics

Today we welcome Stephen J. Dubner, award-winning New York-based journo and co-writer of the pop culture phenomenon Freakonomics. Stephen grew up in Duanesburg, once home of the largest coaling station in the world. Studying at the Appalachian State University he graduated in 1984. Shortly afterwards he discovered playing in a rock band wasn't his life's path, so he decided to focus on his writing which has led him to cross paths with Steven D. Levitt, his left-of-centre cohort in the production of the book Freakonomics.

Freakonomics takes a slightly skewed look at the art and science of economics. When most people think of economists, many think of slight, suit wearing nerdy types that hang out with actuaries and finance analysts. Freakonomics turns this projection on its head, looking at the intriguing side of life, answering questions like "If drug dealers make so much money, why do they still live with their mums?" and "What do school teachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?"

BV: Please give Stephen a very warm welcome. Stephen, thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer some of my questions. Freakonomics has been out for almost a year now, does it seem like a lifetime ago that this came out, or does it feel like just yesterday?

Believe it or not, it was published two years ago, at least in the U.S. And yes, time has flown. In some ways, the book still feels new - mostly because we try to keep the dialog going on our blog. That's been one of the best surprises of this whole venture: being able to push the ideas forward with an online community.

BV: For those of us who have no idea about economics (um… yeah… that's me!!), can you explain what's at the core of economic studies and how Freakonomics is different to this?

Most people think of economics as a subject matter, one that primarily includes "the economy", the stock market, interest rates, etc. That's all hugely important, obviously. But the field of economics is in fact much broader than that, or can be broader at least. Think of it as a toolkit - a lot of mathematical tools, yes, but also a way of looking at the world and examining human behavior. To be really reductive, you could call it the science of decision-making, which obviously each of us is involved in many times each day. So really, if you think of it like that, no subject is off-limits.

BV: You have chosen to set up a blog to help with the marketing of this book. How do you think this medium has helped in the promotion?

It's hard to measure but my impression is that the blog is one reason the book continues to live on. We've got about 60,000 daily readers, which isn't much compared to a Yahoo!, but for a couple of authors who like to chat up their ideas, it's a lot.

BV: With all the blogs and social media sites that are growing in size and popularity, the web is becoming an ever more complex and intertwined place. Places like Second Life offer people the opportunity to start virtual worlds and economies. It's new and a little scary to some. Do you think this is a trend we will see more and more, and what impact do you think it will have on 'old world economies'?

That's a really interesting question. Just the other day on our blog, in fact, our new web editor Melissa Lafsky blogged about a controversy brewing in Second Life over a "virtual rape." You can see from the comments on the post that people are deeply, deeply divided about the transplantation of real-world issues like justice and incentives onto a virtual world. But, as others point out, the virtual world can be an excellent laboratory to try out potential real-world solutions.

BV: Has anyone ever told Steve Levitt, your ‘partner in crime’ for the book Freakonomics that he looks like Alan Ruck from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off '?

Hmm. I don't know. But I have to say, I don't see the resemblance.

BV: Out of all the examples in the book (of which there are many), which one do you feel really puts the freak in Freakonomics?

The correlation between the legalization of abortion and a drop in crime was certainly a provocative issue, which made people think about the world differently. I'd say that was the single most powerful idea. But a lot of people prefer the stuff we wrote about how baby names are connected to socioeconomic status. Hey, it takes all kinds...

BV: Well mate, you’ve definitely put an interesting slant on the world of economics for us all. Thanks for a very enlightening chat and good luck with the book!

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Coming up this week: Yeah, yeah... I know I stuffed up!

OK, so firstly I need to apologise for last week’s mix-up with BloggerViews. You see, here at the BloggerView office I’m usually working on the site after a rather large glass of Johnny Walker on the rocks. Actually, I’m surprised there aren’t more mistakes given this is the case!!

So last week we had Drew from The Crochet Dude and this week I will be posting my interview with Stephen J. Dubner from Freakonomics. Make sure you check back later in the week as it’s an incredibly interesting conversation I had with him. You could make it easier on yourself by subscribing to our RSS feed or via email.

Also, I need to congratulate Drew as he has bumped off Steve Lacey, our friendly Google engineer, to get a spot in the top three most popular BloggerViews since the site’s been live.

Well done Drew… sorry Steve!!

010: Drew - The Crochet Dude

Special Announcement: The Freakonomics interview will be posted next week.

This week we have Drew from The Crochet Dude. Drew will be appearing on HGTV Monday 11th June at 7am ET/PT. For those of you outside the US, an outline of the projects Drew will be going through can be found here.

Today we go a little crafty and to help me on this journey is Drew Emborsky from The Crochet Dude. Drew is a fine artist from Houston, Texas and whilst he enjoys cooking up a great feed, getting out in his wonderful garden and painting up a storm with his favourite oils and canvas, his blog primarily focuses on his love of fiber arts.

Invented in the 1800s, crochet quickly took off in Europe as a means to supplement family incomes from war-ravished territories. Today, crochet has a healthy and lively following of which Drew is an integral part.

BV: Drew, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me about your passion… crochet. It seems you’re pretty damn fanatical about fiber arts and in particular crochet. Can you tell me, where did this passion stem from?

Hey dude! Thanks for inviting me!

I come from a large family and we all crochet. When I was a kid I watched my dad crocheted area rugs out of old fabric, and my mom crochet doilies out of thread. One of my sisters took to knitting and made us all sweaters one year, and one of my brothers crocheted an afghan for Mom while he was in the army! I guess it must be in our DNA because by the time I was five I was crocheting right along with everyone else.

I studied fine art in college and I love that I am able to combine this long family tradition of working with fiber and my training as an artist.

BV: When you’re at a dinner party and you tell people that you love crochet, I imagine there is usually one guy that’s pretty insecure about his own personality and would be the type to make fun of a man who crochets. How do you respond to this type of guy and still keep him on your side?

Besides kick his ass? Hmm, that usually does the trick. But if I want to keep him on my side I will tell how crochet and knit are practiced by men all over the world and have been for a long time, and that in America it has been a relatively short period of time where men haven’t felt comfortable with the fiber arts, at least that has how it has seemed. In reality men have been knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, etc, all along, but nowadays we can be seen crocheting on the subway or knitting at the coffee shop.

And if that doesn’t work…. I kick his ass.

BV: When I think of crochet, I think of doilies and bed socks. Can you tell me some of the other useful things you can create using crochet?

One of the most exciting developments is that we are seeing crochet on the runways in Paris/Milan/NYC. Designers are using crochet to create some pretty incredible garments. And now that natural fibers are becoming much more accessible, you can find crochetiers working with silk, cashmere, angora, alpaca, wool, etc and creating what many call “wearable art”.

Crochet is also great for creating baby blankets (it’s fast!) and accessories (it’s sturdy enough to make a laptop case!) and intricate wall hangings/curtains (google “filet crochet”!) . I even found myself in a hotel a few months ago and realizing that I had forgotten my cufflinks, I whipped out my wool and hooks and crocheted a pair to wear to my meeting.

Pretty much you name it, you can do a crocheted version of it.

BV: It seems to me that inventing crochet designs is like any other artistic talent. Can you run me through the skills you need to come up with an original crochet design and can anyone do it?

I certainly think that anyone can try to do it and based on their experience and skill level they will be as successful as they want to be. That being said, a basic knowledge of garment construction, a strong command of the stitch combinations, and the ability to visualize how it will turn out (and how to get from point A to point B) help tremendously.

The absolutely most important skill though is the ability to mentally handle ripping out what you’ve done as many times as necessary in order to finally achieve the design as you have imagined it. The technical term in the industry is “frogging” because you have to “rip it rip it rip it”.

BV: Men who knit and the dogs who love them. So is this a book about men, or dogs?).

Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them came about because my co-author Annie Modesitt and I wanted to create a set of men’s sweater designs that men would actually want to knit and wear. Sometimes when one looks at a man’s sweater pattern it becomes very obvious that the designer had the dude’s lady in mind, mainly because she would most likely be knitting it, so it has pretty features that a dude wouldn’t necessarily want to wear.

What we did was look at each design from a dude’s point of view (that’s me!) and consider “what would a man like to knit, and when he is finished what would he actually want to wear”. So this book contains men’s sweaters that are tailored, classic, a bit trendy in a few cases, but always keeping the dude in mind.

That being said, the fun part of the book is that all the men’s sweaters also have matching dog sweaters. Not all the designs fit all dogs, but there are designs for every size from Chihuahua to Great Dane. There are dog accessories too like beds, leashes, saddlebags, etc. The hardest part though is getting your dog to knit.

BV: You’ve had your blog up for a while now; can you tell me a story about how your blog has made a difference to either your life or someone else’s?

The amazing part of having a blog for the last two years is that I have communication with thousands of people that love the fiber arts too. The feedback that I gain from their emails and comments would be unobtainable any other way. And the blog helps filter and pinpoint with whom my designs are compatible. If they like my designs they read my blog and many of the long time readers have become very good friends of mine.

I could give you many examples of how The Crochet Dude has made a difference in other’s lives, but these are the most common stories I hear. Little “Bobby” wants to crochet but his dad doesn’t think a boy should. So Grandma/Mom/Aunty sit down to the computer with Bobby and Dad and they look at my blog and website and see that it’s okay for dudes to crochet and knit. I have received so many emails from kids and moms saying ‘thank you for being a great role model for Bobby’. That really makes me feel good.

The other scenario is similar but usually includes a wife that wants to get her husband crocheting so they can go yarn shopping together. The success rate isn’t quite as high, but I do get thankyous from them too.

BV: And lastly, if you could crochet one item to stop terrorism, what would that be?

I don’t like to try and stop anything because I feel that it creates more of it.
However, if I could crochet one item to promote peace it would be an electric car.

Related links:
Site http://www.thecrochetdude.com
Blog http://blog.thecrochetdude.com
Patterns http://www.lulu.com/thecrochetdude
Gear http://www.cafepress.com/thecrochetdude

BV: Well Drew, you've certainly opened my eyes to the world of crochet. Thank you.

Did you enjoy this post? Make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed or subscribe via email.

If you liked this interview BloggerView also recommends:-
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Morphing into Mama

Coming up this week: Economics, drug dealers and sumo wrestlers. It’s Stephen J. Dubner from Freakonomics.

Don’t miss this week’s interview with Stephen J. Dubner from Freakonomics. It’s a real eye-opener. With questions like ‘Which is more dangerous - a gun or a swimming pool?’, ‘What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?’ and ‘Why do drug dealers still live with their mums?’, Freakanomics is sure to put an interesting slant on how you look at economists.

Join me later this week when I talk to Stephen about his book and his blog. Until then, happy blogging!