Well spank my rear and call me Charlie, that’s August done and dusted. Now only 15 Saturdays to Christmas!

And at the risk of repeating myself, wasn’t it bloody hot for a week or so! I am so glad we have an AC unit in the bedroom. And related to that is an important tip if you are booking your holidays online (we got such a good deal on the internet blah blah blah). Make sure that bargain room you booked in Italy has got air con otherwise you will melt.

Training jobs are coming in slowly with some being cancelled, I reckon this area will be very touch and go for a while until confidence is restored. I must say I’m not too worried as I’m semi-retired anyway and I’ve enjoyed been at home and catching up on projects generally.

Talking of confidence been restored, if you travel regularly to Spain, Brittany Ferries have just opened up bookings for next year and some cabins are already sold out, so don’t leave it too late.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I have been threatening to get a new motorbike for some time now. I’m not going to mention any names but salesmen at three different dealerships in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire have so far proved to be next to useless. If they get commission on sales, I’d be surprised if they got a pair of socks at Christmas. A typical exchange would go like this:

Ted: I like this one, can I have test ride?

Salesman: No. We haven’t got a demonstrator for that one.

Ted: Look, I’m a cash buyer and I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy this bike but I’m not going to do that unless I can have a test drive.

Salesman: No, people don’t usually buy that bike so we don’t have a demonstrator.

Ted (No dialogue) Pulls out Glock and double-taps salesman in chest.

Ted (To CO): Come on sweetie, lets go to Wickes and get some white spirit.

I’m afraid I don’t suffer fools gladly.

Anyway, I’ve been watching these riots in America with a mixture of revulsion and fascination. I hate bullies and that what we are seeing there in spades. This “Antifa” business, which I assume is Anti-Fascist is a great laugh because these people are the closest thing to Nazis I can imagine. Their ignorant rendering of history is abysmal. And I think that people of all colours should simply comply with any reasonable request from a police officer such as “can I see your licence please”. If you are placed under arrest, behave like a civilised person and do not thrash around as if a possessed savage. If you do that the conclusion is that you are jacked up on PCBs or other shit and need serious restraint. You are also in danger of injuring yourself in the process. Not only that, what could have been a simple warning back at the station will turn into at least 6 months wearing a stupid orange suit and sharing a cell with Gorgeous George. Nobody wants to be arrested, so remember, if you can’t do the time…

I’m also  amazed how many cars stopped for these zombies, there’s no way I would have stopped for a blood thirsty mob. What’s more the script was nearly always the same – Woman or woman-looking thing stops car by standing in road. Woman-thing then jumps up and down while screeching abuse at occupants (I think this is some kind of tribal thing like a Haka). As occupants have by now locked the doors, savages can not get into vehicle. Woman-thing then jumps up and down on bonnet, windscreen and/or sunroof trying to get at evil occupants of car. Mostly, occupants come to senses at this point and drive off. Car is then hotly pursued by morons with their little back-packs on.

And I bet most of these have got the nerve to put “Be kind” on Facebook.

Talking of idiots, the most polished I saw recently was a white dickhead screaming at a coloured lady “I’m more black than you are”.

I feel that the problem in the states is very similar to that in the UK, in that too many anarchist and left-wing teachers/tutors/lecturers are allowed to contaminate young minds. In the UK many people get taken in by the ideology of the Junior Common Room at college and never get out of it. These are mostly the types we refer to as “Champagne Socialists”.

Unfortunately, most media people have come through this route and this is why the media is always interested in issues that working people couldn’t give a fig about.

I firmly believe that places of education and communication  (particularly TV stations) should be completely neutral. I think an Ombudsman should be appointed to regularly sample these areas and ensure that tutors views are not imposed on students.

Well, that was a good old rant wasn’t it?  

My electrical tip for this month is in a not dissimilar vein, in that if you are doing electrical inspections (EICRs) your job is to simply report on the condition of the installation. I have seen some sparkies taking on the mantle of electrician/safety officer/small god etc etc. It is not our job to say “a child might get a knitting needle up the back of the service cut-out” or “you could get an extension lead up to those first floor sockets”. You Observe, Test and Record from an unbiased stance, you use your training and skill to identify dangers if they exist, you also need to apply good old common sense.

With regard to motorbikes, in the end I bought this one.

Well, I’m just about to saddle up and ride off into the sunset, so until next month, Adiós, amigos y amigas.