I read just now that Starbucks Coffee have removed their name from their branding logo. This is a move designed to position them to sell stuff other than coffee under their brand, but I must admit it seems odd to me. When we see their shops with this nameless logo how are we to refer to them? Do we now say “I’m just popping to wobbly green lady logo for a coffee”? Sure, you want to diverge, lose “coffee” from the name.

P.S. Happy New Year!

It comes to something when I find myself agreeing with Esther Rantzen, but on the new rules for registering people giving lifts to children, I am in that exact position. This is a continuation of a slippery slope of suspicion against adults that is growing way out of proportion. Fever over peadophilia has been whipped up so much, that we are in danger of suspecting every single adult of wanting to do harm to children, when the reality is that peados are – thankfully – a very small percentage of the population. Stuff like this registration process simply adds to an air of suspicion. How long before you are presumed guilty simply because you haven’t been through the vetting process yet? It seems like that’s where we are going.

Additional – 14th September, the Government are now re-evaluating this system, following a larger than expected backlash.

More nannying today as we are told that Iced coffees are bad. Some of them apparently contain over five hundred calories. Arrgh! Of course they contain a lot of calories, they’re a rich, sweet, treat. How is this news? The charity behind the figures is telling us that we should avoid the sweet, sugary flavours and instead go for the skimmed, unsweetened (and, presumably, less enjoyable) versions instead. Sigh. How about letting people enjoy themselves and, ooo, go on, live a little. Have a sweetened coffee without feeling guilty about it.

So on TV just now in the UK is a talent show called “Britain’s got talent”. On it appear a number of variety acts that have been chosen by the judging panel for the live shows every day this week. Each day we pick two acts by phone vote, and the winning acts will all appear in Saturday’s live final.

Except that this year, we have Susan Boyle. Now, I have to admit that I heard her original audition and I though – as many others did I suppose – that she was pretty good. And clearly it was a kick in the face to all of those who might judge on first impressions, because she wasn’t presented well and noone expected anything of her.

Since then, though, we’ve basically had a media machine backing her every step of the way in this “competition”. She’s now one of the shortest favourites ever with the bookies. She’s pretty much a dead cert to win, and you can’t go a day without hearing something else about her in the news.

When the other contestants go through, it’s “to give her some competition”, but by the sounds of it they may as well not even bother. Likewise it seems that the viewing public may as well not vote for their favourites, as the result is already decided.

The issue I have with it really is firstly, well, when she did her seconds live performance it just wasn’t that great, secondly that the judging panel are doing PR interviews bigging her up, and thirdly that there is other talent that is a lot better than her on the show that’s basically not got a look in. That, of course, and that when she appeared on her semi, she didn’t come across as a particularly nice personality. In fact she came across as cocky and arrogant, and it makes you wonder if the original meekness wasn’t just a device to gain favour – in which case it has worked to a spectacular degree.

I realise that much of the reality TV scene comes across as manufactured, but this just takes the cake. Why even bother making it a competition?

By the way it’s all over the news, it would seem that the world is about to end after everyone is stuck down by Swine Flu. We currently have 2 confirmed cases in the UK, who are recovering in a Scottish hospital. Strangely, though, they are not dead, nor are those in the US confirmed with the flu. Still, I for one think it’s time to start panic-buying. I, as usual, recommend panic buying of chicken and related products. On the plus side, the turf is ordered for our new lawn, so assuming we can survive long enough against the Swine flu, I’ll be able to lay that next week.

Yes, lately I have spent my time digging out our back garden, rather than being on here lots. You wouldn’t believe the amount of rocks and misc building materials that I have unearthed. Quite strange.

Also Jenson Button somewhat unexpectedly won this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, though he did burn his back side in the process, on the car’s massively hot electronics box.

Giant hedgehog.