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Prominent in our local news these days is the case of a man dubbed the Balcony Rapist. He was put away 20 years ago after a string of sex crimes so horrendous he was banned outright from ever living in the province of Ontario. Now he's out of prison, having served his full term... and having staunchly refused any treatment (setting aside for now the debate over whether such proclivities can, in fact, be treated).

So now he's living in Surrey BC and folks are absolutely outraged. And... while I have a certain amount of compassion for their predicament... I'm getting kind of tired of their whining. Yesterday's newscasts featured tape of various parents freaaaakkkkking out because the man was seen walking in an area near a school.

Last night, we had "live, on the scene reports" from a demonstration outside the home of the man's sister, with whom he lives. The newscasters tried to pump it up, as usual, but there were only two or three people milling around. It was actually kind of sad.

We've also been treated to tape of middle aged women crying hysterically, demanding the death penalty for sex offenders. And the mayor of Surrey high-horsing it about how such things as this man who's served his time must not be permitted in her community.

Personally, I wish these people would get a grip. With all the non-stop media coverage, the Balcony Rapist is probably the most recognizable man in the area these days. And known dangers (I'm sorry to have to say it) are among the easiest to avoid.

This guy did his damage at a time when no one knew who he was. He sneaked up into women's apartments via their balconies during the night. What are the odds that a guy with this history is gonna jump someone on the street? Or snatch a child? (He has always preyed on adult women, but I guess little children are much more attractive things to hold up as objects of danger when the media want to whip up even more of this kind of hysteria.)

I say... if you're gonna be afraid... fear the things you don't yet know are dangerous.

Where known dangers lurk, take precautions.

Lock your doors at night. Close your windows. Walk the other way when you see an infamous sex offender in the mall or on the street or whatever.

But don't go making up imaginary crimes ("Adult women will be too hard for him to get, so he's going to turn to children," a woman said on the news last night) and don't keep demanding that the guy be sent somewhere else. His massive public visibility is probably the greatest protection his neighbours could ask for.

As for those cries for the death penalty... let them ring out. Let them be debated. Let them be considered as part of public policy. And if it's the will of the people to kill sex offenders... well, so be it.

For now, though, we have no such penalty. And yes, what this man has done is terrible and vile. And yes, he may reoffend. So let's keep an eye on him and act sensibly. But let's not... in the grips of mass hysteria... forget that there are many other, very real dangers in everyday life. And no one's safety can ever be completely guaranteed. And I'm willing to bet that the next heinous crime committed in Surrey is committed... not by this man, but by someone we've never even heard of. Because, in my experience, that's how life works. When you're busy scanning the horizon for tornadoes, you don't see the flood waters rising to your neck.

The Water Clock is an icon in the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Designed by French physicist and artist Bernard Gitton, the water clock was procured by the museum in 1989 with a contribution from Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wood. Since then, the clock has attracted crowds of visitors who marvel at its beauty and accuracy, and learn to tell time in a whole new way.

Gitton worked for almost five years to perfect the design of his first water clock. Thousands of mathematical calculations were made to determine the size of each minute disc and hour sphere and length of each pipe. However, designing the clock was not as difficult as constructing it to precise specifications. Gitton designed and supervised the creation of each hand-blown glass part, assembled the clock for testing and disassembled it for shipping to Indianapolis. Gitton and two assistants came here to assemble the clock and to train Mark Coovert in its care.

The clock, which is 26.5 feet tall, uses 70 gallons of a solution of water, methyl alcohol and food coloring. The alcohol prevents algae and fungus from growing inside the pipes while the food coloring allows visitors to see the clock’s function more clearly.

The water clock works on three basic principles of physics: energy cannot be destroyed only changed; gravity pulls objects down to the lowest possible level; and water seeks its own level.

Initially, an electric water pump beneath the floor moves the water to the top reservoir. From there it flows into a glass cupel (a shallow cup or scoop) attached to a green neon pendulum. As the cupel fills, the increasing weight causes its arm to dip (gravity) and empty the liquid.

The cupel then returns to an upright position, thus propelling the pendulum. This occurs every two seconds, keeping a steady stream of liquid flowing into the clock’s systems of curved pipes and siphons. Every hour, the minutes column empties, creating a vacuum that draws liquid into the hours column to fill one of the hour spheres.

Together the number of filled spheres lining the hours side of the clock and the number of filled discs on the minutes side tell visitors the time of day. Each disc represents two minutes.

There are only 29 of these minute discs, representing 58 minutes. The missing two minutes are accounted for in the time it takes for the pipes to drain. Just before one o’clock, the minutes and the hours sections are full. When they overflow they create a siphon that empties the entire clock and creates a dramatic event for visitors. Then the whole process begins again.

This picture was taken at 1:40pm.