Diary Of An ADI

Well done JAK for passing with just 2 driver faults (DFs) yesterday. That’s three passes in two weeks, all with just 2 DFs.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! With a machine gun!

Just saw on the local news a story about how they’re using pink fluorescent lights in subways to deter gangs of hoodies congregating. Apparently – and according to the spokesman from the local Residents’ Association – the pink light highlights acne and the colour in particular is unattractive to teenage males, so they move on.

The story also indicates that all the evidence is suggesting that the ploy works and it is causing teenagers to move on.

It’s a great idea. But what happens now that the baby chimps who this is deterring realise they’ve been had? Why not just keep your mouths shut and bask in the glory of beating the offspring of the local Neanderthals – instead of boasting and gloating over it?

Just saw this on the lunchtime news – here’s the Guardian’s take on it.

The vandalism was carried out by a group promising further action against what it calls ‘criminal bank bosses’, whom it apparently blames for the recession. They’re obviously not affiliated with MENSA in any way.

There is an urban legend that during street riots against paedophiles a few years ago, a gang of thickos attacked the residence of a paediatrician somewhere in Portsmouth. The story has been refuted, but it does illustrate a valid point – and one that is very pertinent to these morons who have vandalised Sir Fred Goodwin’s property. Namely: they haven’t got a clue!

Those responsible for this criminal act manage – yet again – to make the division between humans and apes ever greyer. The fact that it happened in Scotland is circumstantial, of course.

Incidentally, this post is getting a lot of hits. I wonder if the lunatics responsible are checking up on their handiwork?

You’re probably aware that Michael Jackson is playing 50 concerts at the O2 Arena this summer. It’ll be his first tour since 1997 – and it’s sold out already.

I really hope it works – for him and his fans.

But being honest, can you see someone who is as fragile as Michael Jackson , both emotionally and physically, actually complete these 50 gigs? It would be an enormous task even for someone young and in practice with touring. Jacko has been a virtual hermit for the last 12 years, and on his rare trips back to Planet Earth he has knocked over a few tables every time.

Like I say, I hope it works out. But…

The last week has been a bit of a pain.

To start with I’ve had nearly 50 hours of lessons, which is great. But during this time my computer started to play up (separate thread about that) and I’ve been trying to fix it using what little time I have had available.

Anyway, last Tuesday (10/03/09) I had a nice pass (well done DL) – she has just been moved to Birmingham by her employer and needed to be able to commute.

Then yesterday there was another pass (well done VKC) with just 2 driver faults. This lad is my quickest pass ever in just 23 hours (no private practice, but his dad had shown him how to drive before he came to me).

There was one slight aberration – one lad failed this week for a silly lapse in concentration and was angry with himself. In his own words:

“It was my fault, and if I’d have remembered I’d be sitting here with a pass right now”.

All of them are great drivers and fully deserve to be out there on the roads (I add that because I know there will be one or two instructors out there who, when they read this, will automatically be looking for negatives by trying to read into what I have written. The industry is full of that sort, I’m afraid).

Just watching Breakfast News on the BBC and I was taken aback to see ” Grow Your Own Drugs ” on the rear-screen displays behind the presenters and some guy they’re interviewing (big grin, looks like a Blue Peter presenter).

It’s a very unfortunate tagline for a new BBC programme about plants you can grow at home which have medicinal properties.

Listening to the last part of it, the show is likely to be a thinly disguised ‘alternative medicine’ love-in, because he’s going on about aromatherapy ingredients at the moment. And I can’t see the Beeb showing people how to make Aspirin from Willow Tree bark.

The BBC site confirms it will be extremely lightweight, and witters on about making ‘some pampering beauty treatments ‘. But from the dumbing-down specialists, what would you expect?

EDIT 3/3/2009 – And so it was lightweight. Facepacks, the astounding news that Figs and Senna ‘make you regular’, the repeated comment that this berry or than root ‘is thought to be good for’ something or other, and so on.

Alfa Romeo MiTo.

I don’t have to say anything – just listen to the bit where it keeps saying ‘technologic’ in a squeaky voice (sounds like ‘technology’ with an idiot saying it). It drives me nuts and on Sky they show it at the start, end, and in the middle (I think) of every ad break.