Winston Smith, You Are Not Welcome at This Pub

British author George Orwell wrote a great book about a police state in the Old Sod that controlled every aspect of one's being. Orwell was a genius and his 1984 ranks in the stratosphere with Clockwork Orange in terms of exploring the effect of language on reality. Having re-read both of them recently, I am struck by their timeliness.

A town in Southwest England is being very Orwellian right now, with a pub requiring fingerprints to enter.

Biometric finger-scanning machines have been installed at six venues in Yeovil, southwest England. Clubbers will be asked to have their right index finger scanned and show picture identification to register on the system.

The data is then stored on a computer network which other pubs and clubs in the scheme can access so that information on louts can be passed on quickly.

"It will identify those who have previously been intent on causing trouble," said Sergeant Jackie Gold, of Avon and Somerset Police.

Btw, my favorite Orwell novel is the unsung Down and Out in Paris and London. Orwell was Tony Bourdain before Tony Bourdain was born.