Today's Thoughts

I recently re-read MacBeth to brush up because one of my students was studying the text in English. I was thinking about that this morning. There is a point where the titular tyrant bewails, 'My mind is a nest of scorpions.'  I was thinking about that line, and thought: Yeah, me too, Macca. My mind feels like a bunch of premenstrual, wasp-stung, sand-stuck-in-the-vagina goblins that have been stuffed into a shopping trolley and set careering down a steep, rocky embankment.  It must be my weird thoughts.

One thought I've had is I should type a little note of explanation, or a public service announcement, if you will. There has been a suppression order made by the courts following the conviction of a high profile defendant the other day. Everybody seems to be asking the point to this, and why the censorship, and why this, and why that? Let me put it as succinctly as possible. This is difficult, because I don't do succinct. However, I hope I can explain it in easily understandable terms:

This person is the subject of another trial that has been listed next year. Any adverse publicity surrounding this conviction could be prejudicial to this upcoming trial. Yes, everyone knows who this person is, but it's not the point. The court's role is to uphold the principle that not only must justice be done, justice must be SEEN to be done. Therefore, appropriate judicial conduct has been carried out in the issuing of this order. If the defendant is convicted because of prejudicial publicity emanating from the recent conviction, then the court would be criticised for not having issued a suppression order, and this would be used in an appeal. Therefore, the court has done its job, and can't be criticised.

There was a similar situation years ago when the miniseries Blue Murder was screened. The court issued an injunction against the series being screened in Victoria, because one of the characters portrayed was due to stand trial further down the track. Yeah, any juror could have crossed the border and watched, or had an interstate friend record the series and send a copy. However, in doing what it did, the court executed its duty and would not be subject to any criticism of it procedural adherence.

Because I've been feeling cruddy, I've been playing some daggy stuff today. Here it is:

1. In The Country by Cliff Richard
2. Penny Arcade by Roy Orbison
3. Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band

I make no apologies for this cheese; we must do what we must do to maintain the serotonin.