Rabbit Thought of the Day

My meeting as now finished well about 45 minutes ago that is, and I have managed to grab a quick lunch, nothing exciting though it consisted of fresh fruit and water. I am determined to stick to my diet and lose weight, and I am good I don’t give easily.

My photography planned for tomorrow has it a bit of a problem, my meeting has been cancelled and I no longer need to come to London, I am afraid its back to the office in Dartford for me. Never, mind I am sure I will have another opportunity very soon.

I have a few more things then I am heading home, I should be away from here by 14:30, I hope!

Despite all the doom and gloom in the press recently relating to crime the latest figures show a reduction in crime. The following report has been taken from the BBC website.

Police-recorded crime in England and Wales fell 9% in the 12 months to March, latest figures suggest. The first-ever reliable figures for knife crime showed there were 22,000 offences last year.

They also show that while the risk of being a victim is at its lowest ever level, people still think that the rate is going up. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was "extremely pleased" with the overall reduction. The annual crime report for 2007-2008 reveals the longest recorded period of falling crime - down 48% from 1995.

It shows there were five million recorded crimes. All the main categories were down but gun crime was up 2% and murder was up 3%. Home Office experts say the figures show that offences are concentrated in hotspots and not evenly spread around England and Wales. They also say the figures mirror trends in falling crime seen throughout the developed world.

I have posted on this subject before but today it is make or break for Britain's top sprinter Dwain Chambers in his bid to compete in next month's Olympic Games in Beijing. He is seeking a High Court order to lift a lifetime ban on competing in Olympic events imposed by the British Olympic Association (BOA) because he once used performance-enhancing drugs.

He has already qualified to compete in the Olympic team after winning the 100 metres at the Olympic athletics trials in Birmingham last Saturday and setting his best time of the year of 10 seconds. Now he faces High Court judge Mr Justice Mackay who will decide whether to grant an injunction suspending the BOA by-law until a full trial on the issue next March.

It will be a test of the rule which bans those who have used performance-enhancing drugs from the British team unless there are mitigating circumstances. Chambers, 30, knew that having served a two-year suspension for using the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), there was no chance in pursuing the mitigating circumstances route through the BOA.

Both sides off this action believe they are right and my opinion will have no bearing on the case whatsoever, but it’s a view held by many. Chambers cheated by using drugs and from his cheating he benefited both in financial terms and from success although the success has now been taken from him.

He knew the consequences of getting caught but he still went ahead and took the drugs anyway. Now he complains that he his being victimised, no he his not being victimised he broke the rules and got caught that’s not victimisation that’s life. He his still benefitting from the taking drugs even now, just a glance at his body and its plain to see that the muscle bulk has come from not only hard work in the gym but from the growth hormone that muscle does disappear because he stops taking the drug it remains.

One other point if he wins the case and I hope he doesn’t then he will be taking the place of someone who is clean and doesn’t cheat. The only way to stop this happening again is a life time ban from the sport when caught for the first time.

While walking from the station this morning I was looking out for places of interest to photograph. I know that in a place like London you could spend weeks if not months or even years wandering around talking places of interest to photograph.

I already have a good collect of places that I visited and photographed when I worked in London before, I used to go out at lunch time and fire away like there was no tomorrow. It’s always difficult to photograph something in London that hasn’t already appeared in a magazine or some where on the internet. The challenge is to find that unique angle that hasn’t been covered before or to get the light just right.

I did notice a few angles and a few places that I would love to photograph so tomorrow along with all the usual crap I have to bring I will have to bring my camera equipment, I just hope the weather remains dry. I should get the chance to practice my skills on the way home tomorrow afternoon.

The MoD has announced that it is to double the compensation the given to member of the armed forces are injured during the course of their duties.

The maximum payment will increase to £570,000, on top of a guaranteed income payment for life. There will also be a smaller rise in the awards to service personnel who have sustained less serious injuries. The measures are part of a wider package aimed at ensuring personnel and their families are better looked after in areas such as education and housing.

Defence Secretary Des Browne is due to unveil the Command Paper setting out the new strategy to Parliament. It comes after a Royal British Legion campaign demanded service personnel and their families receive fitting treatment and recognition from government and society.

The forces charity maintained the Military Covenant - which guarantees soldiers fair treatment in return for forgoing other rights - was not being upheld.

Until now, the highest lump sum payment to soldiers like Lance Bombardier Parkinson - who lost both legs and suffered brain damage in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan in 2006, was £285,000. That is expected to be doubled as part of a move that should help at least 80 of the most seriously wounded troops. Another 80 or so men and women with less serious injuries should also see their payouts raised.

Good morning fellow boggers, have finally got the office where we are holding the design meeting, a fairly uneventful trip in this morning on the train and then a about a mile and half, walk down the Thames path from Fenchurch Street station to Blackfriars. I need the exercise hence the walk and I will of course walk back.

The roads here are of course chocker but the Thames path is fine no problems and I did bring my umbrella because rain has been forecast. The office here is filling up quick and it shouldn’t be too long before I am down here full time. I think I will use by bike then it should make things even better for me, the only problem with that of course is getting it on to the train. There aren’t that many places for bikes on the train.