Gone but not forgotten.

I managed to resist the urge to comment about Jade Goody's death until today. I ignored the hourly bulletins on the stste of her health. I've managed to avoid the posts on even the Screwfix forums, though why big butch builders are so distressed lord knows. But the new edition of OK is the straw that breaks the Kennamatics back.

Apart from fronting it in black as a sign of mourning, the head caption is " a nation mourns for it's brightest star".

Good grief. (Or bad grief depending on your outlook).

If all the people who are sending letters of condolence, wringing their hands in despair at the loss of someone they didn't know and planning to attend the "private funeral" for which the location has been leaked well in advance so crowds of mourners turn up, I have an idea.

Instead of spending your life worrying about someone who is famous for being famous not being famous any more, why not offer your services to a hospice or hospital to visit patients who are dying of cancer and help actual real people you can make a difference to. Or work for a cancer charity to raise money to help future generations. But then, that's really not what your grieving is about, it's being part of something you see as exciting. Then again, when was reality tv ever meant to put you in touch with reality?

A view with a room.

Have had a quick look at Googles new Street Level facility, (if that's what it's called).

It would just be of passing interest to me except for one thing. If I am going out to see someone's house for shutters, or windows or other stuff for that matter, I can see the house in advance. This gives me the chance to think about it before turning up which in turn means I will be able to give the potential client a better service as I've already "seen" the house.

I shall also check what some of my installations look like where I don't have photos.

Then I can also check roads to decide whether to put leaflets there rather than driving round an area.

Let's hope not too many people delete their properties from view.

Laurel & Hardy!

Spent the last three weeks installing shutters at a house in Wimbledon, which is why I've been so quiet. I don't think I'm cut out for real work!

It all went well except for when my colleague was at the top of the tower scaffold about to hang a shutter. He tipped the shutter the wrong way and the hinge, which at that point is just pushed into it's holder, traced a graceful arc as it descended from top floor height to the top of my head. Ouch! Still, no damage done, the hinge was perfectly fine and usable.

Vocation Vocation Vocation

So the government have decided to fast track teacher training. Many of the present crop of NQTs (Newly Qualified Teachers) that turn up at M's school aren't much good in practical terms. They've been trained in theory but in practice they flounder. Now, the new course is meant to be for high flyers, although it's pretty obvious from part of the announcement that it's seen as a way of getting those made redundant back in to work quickly.

Maybe people don't mind if teachers are underprepared to teach. It's a lot harder than it looks though. But think if the government wanted to fast track doctors? Would you want to go to a doctor who 6 months earlier had been a city trader and had been fast-tracked or someone who had spent the full term training?

The Good Life

I gret you from a pub somewhere near Yeovil where I'm sipping a pint of cider and reading blogs. A reward for driving 250 mile round trip for 20 minutes work.