Moo Lookin' At Me?

Virtually wildlife fere lunchtime wander on the Water of Leith, so instead there's a big plastic cow in a window. Sometimes opportunities just fall into your lap. I love how they've shaped the window frosting to give sight of the coo. There's a desk to the left of shot as well - imagine sitting working staring at a cow's midriff all day...

Been given the okay at work today to eBay stuff out of the office (ranging from a discovered Palm Pilot in a desk drawer not opened for about a year to a massive boardroom desk bought for around £3,000 less than two years ago). I will, of course, be retaining a 'commission' for doing that.... And if there's anything we want to take just slap a sticker on it, so the garage may be receiving some new storage options.

Glad it's Friday though, especially when i got back on the fixed wheel this morning, having sorted the puncture and put new brake blocks on last night - skinny smooth tyres and suddenly I'm running early. That said, I had to stop in the Innocent Tunnel to get mugged; and then MinBannister arrived at Warp Factor 9.

Currently set to counting down the hours, and planning some baking for the weekend (Mel bought me Lorraine Pascale's book - her TV series is actually quite good, relaxed and informative - I've taken the hint and a few things are planned to try).

Now, time for a random mini-rant....

Y'know these stories regarding paedophiles and rapists being kept on the sex offenders register? And the explosion of outrage that they are going to be able to come off the register after 15 years? You may be surprised to learn that the media portrayal, and the 'general public' outcry, is somewhat at odds with the reality of the proposals.

You see, at the end of those 15 years after release (or is it conviction?) the 'right' being granted is not to come off the register, rather it is to apply to come off the register. It's a subtle difference, but an important one. I'm not saying these crimes aren't terrible, they are, but even murderers, when they leave prison, have their convictions 'spent'. But in the black and white world which the media news streams inhabit the right to apply to come off the register means the right to come off the register. There is no room for a halfway house which involves that application being considered by a panel taking into account relevant information from all sorts of sources, and declining that application if they don't think the person is sufficiently reformed to be removed from the register.

You'd think in an era of 24 hour news coverage there would be the time to go into things in more detail. To have full and proper investigationa nd explanation. But if anything it has gone the opposite way with soundbites and slogans and headlines simply being repeated in segments on each issue shorter than they would have been in the 'old' days.

That said, the accuracy is always going to be called into question when a pre-Brits piece on the BBBC news stated that the 'best' in world music were going to be at the awards, then listed Cheryl Cole, Rihanna and Justin Beiber as the examples to prove this statement. Manufactured pop. Manufactured news. Manufactured vitriol, disapproval and 'facts'....