Apologies in advance for this particularly nerdygeeky post.

I’ve noticed around Edinburgh that many cars have number plates consisting of three letters and four numbers, e.g.: LCZ 2981. More than you would expect appear to have Zs in.

Anyone know why this should be? Was there a separate number plate system in Scotland at some point? Olav’s British Number Plates doesn’t seem to have the answer, unless it’s just a variation of “1931-62 re-registration” plates.

I’m also mildly curious about the preponderance of 71 (e.g. N71 AFL) number plates in Edinburgh. Not that I have an interest in number plates – I’m just inquisitive.

I no longer have my wallet. There are three possible explanations.

1. It was stolen from me in a carefully planned act of revenge carried out either by an individual or a small gang. I can think of five people with motives.

2. TERRORISTS! Duck and cover!

3. It fell out of my pocket.

Of course, it would never have happened if I’d been safely under house arrest.

Update: I searched the web for the phone numbers to call to cancel my cards. I Googled burtons store card and burtons card and got unhelpful but interesting results – particuarly the first one. But having lost my wallet, I can’t say I feel lucky.

Good news, everyone! The US Supreme Court has abolished the death penalty for murderers who committed their crimes while under the age of 18, ruling it unconstitutional. Although the court voted 5-4, narrowly avoiding a penalty shootout, one vote is enough to swing it (if you’ll excuse my putting the “pun” in “capital punishment”). According to the Beeb, this ruling affects murderers who were 16 or 17 at the time as a similar ruling was made for under-16s in 1988.

As with all arbitrary age limits, this prompts a further question: why is it cruel and unusual to execute someone who murdered at 17 years 364 days old but not cruel and unusual for the state to kill someone who murdered at their 18th birthday party?

The plan last night was to watch all four hours of The 100 Greatest Cartoons on Channel 4. Due to a scheduling malfunction, I found myself watching The Top 100 Ugliest Comedians.

For anyone who didn’t stay up until midnight, here are the top 5.

5. Justin Lee Collins*
Yeah, the guy off Xfm.

4. Paul Tonkinson
Used to be on The Sunday Show if you remember that.

3. Rob Deering
Pork scratchings, anyone?

2. Simon Donald*
Like Simon Pegg but with all the bits of his face in the wrong place.

1. Rob Rouse
Irritating member of the Friday Night Project gang. He’s the raddled one at the very front.

Your mileage may vary (ugliness is in the eye of the beholder after all), but you have to imagine them dumbly singing cartoon theme tunes and making twenty-year-old comments about Cheetara for the full effect.

I am of course not say that I look great myself. That’s for other people to say.

*May not technically be a comedian, but Chicken Run isn’t technically a cartoon.