News - Diary Of An ADI

TRS Cumin (Jeera) and Coriander (Dhania)

30/03/2016

Anyone who makes their own curry needs to be aware of this. TRS is recalling certain packs of its Cumin and Coriander powders because they contain salmonella. Batches affected:

TRS Jeera (Cumin) Powder
Pack size: 100g
Batch no: P353340
‘Best before’ date: 31 December 2017

TRS Dhania (Coriander) Powder
Pack size: 100g
Batch no: A481514
‘Best before’ end: End December 2017

No other TRS products, packs, or batches are involved. You should not eat any affected pack, and return it to the store you purchased it from and get a refund.

TRS is a well-known brand and is one of the main suppliers of whole and ground spices in most specialty stores and even mainstream supermarkets.

There’s an update to this, with a new alert from the Food Standards Agency. A further batch of Cumin (Jeera) is involved, and TRS has now added a batch of Chilli Powder (Extra Hot):

TRS Ground Cumin (Jeera) Powder
Pack size: 100g
Batch no: P200116
‘Best before’ date: 30 June 2017

TRS Chilli Powder (Extra Hot)
Pack size: 400g
Batch no: P160303
‘Best before’ date: 31 March 2018

Apple vs. The FBI

29/03/2016

DOAADI

Computers & Tech, News

When I think of the Apple versus the FBI fiasco, I sometimes wonder what the world is coming to.

In December 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. They shot and killed 14 people, and seriously wounded 22 more. Three bombs they also planted failed to go off, but if they had then there could have been many more fatalities and injuries. Farook and Malik were killed in a shootout with police. Apparently, Malik had pledged allegiance to Islamic State on social media on the day of the attack.

In February 2016, the FBI asked Apple to help unlock an iPhone owned by Farook. The FBI had realised that if they failed to enter the correct password after several attempts then they would lose any information held on the phone. The FBI wanted a modified version of iOS that would bypass this security feature.

Now when you consider what happened at Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, then in Paris in November 2015, and then (albeit more recently than the FBI’s request to Apple) in Brussels in March 2016, any normal person would have expected Apple to comply immediately. But Apple isn’t a normal company, and it refused. Worse, we discover that there a lot of other people out there who aren’t normal, and who supported Apple’s stance.

Irrespective of whether or not Farook’s phone contains anything relevant to the FBI’s investigations into the San Bernardino murders, it was vital that they at least had the opportunity to examine it to make that call.

Apple managed to stall for almost two months – through the Brussels bombings – and there was every likelihood they would have continued to do so as the matter moved sloth-like from one US court to another. However, in late March 2016, it became known that an Israeli company was working with the FBI to unlock the phone without Apple’s assistance. Today, it was announced that they have succeeded.

What really made me laugh was this BBC write up which first appeared this morning. Particularly, this line:

Apple said it did not know how to gain access, and said it hoped that the government would share with them any vulnerabilities of the iPhone that might come to light.

Let’s just get this straight. Apple refused to help crack the phone (and it could have), but it wants the government to tell them how it did it.

I wonder if government officials are allowed to give one-fingered salutes to Apple?

Chetwynd Barracks to Close

26/03/2016

DOAADI

News

This is an old post. Chetwynd is still operating, at least partially, since it still has armed guards at the gate as of mid-2022.

It appears that numerous MoD sites around the country are being sold off to raise money. They will apparently be used to build houses, and one of the sites due to be closed is Chetwynd Barracks in Chilwell. At the moment, it looks like this (those green things are called “trees”).

This is what it will look like once they manage to cram in 800 of those hideous shoebox abodes they favour these days. Those shown here are just up the road from the barracks. Note that there isn’t a colour fault with the photo – there’s just no greenery in it.

The report says that Chetwynd won’t close before 2020 [update: they have confirmed it will close in 2021] [Another update: It’s still at least partially operating in mid-2022]. I’d just point out that 2020 is less than four years away – roughly the same amount of time it took them to build Phase 2 of the tram system.

Chetwynd Barracks was built shortly after World War I, and before that there was a shell-filling factory on the site. It was known as the Chilwell Depot until 1995, the new name “Chetwynd” coming from the name of the director of the original shell-filling factory.

It would appear that Broxtowe Borough Council has had its beady eyes on the site for at least the last 6 years ~~judging from this document~~ (which they appear to have removed) [there is an updated document here which is somewhat different to that original one]. The site is almost 80 hectares, and they reckoned on building up to more than 1,500 houses when they wrote this (that’s probably over 2,000 in today’s money [the updated document has it revised down to 800 houses because they’re going to screw it up with more industrial areas]). It’s worth noting that as far back as 2011 they were planning to build up to 2,700 houses on the site! They couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery.

How do I get to Chetwynd Barracks?

Nothing to do with this post, but just me trying to be helpful as I’ve had a few hits on this search term.

Leave the M1 at Junction 25. There are two options after that.

Firstly, you could take exit on the roundabout signed for Long Eaton, turn right at the smaller roundabout at the end of that road, then travel for about a mile to the next roundabout and turn left into Long Eaton. Keep going until you reach Chilwell Retail Park and turn left at the traffic lights. That’s Swiney Way, and Chetwynd is about half way down on the right (though you probably wouldn’t miss it).

Alternatively, at M1 Junction 25 exit, follow the A52 towards Nottingham. At the Bardill’s Roundabout turn right on to B6003 Toton Lane and go for about a mile until you reach the traffic lights. Turn left and you’re on Swiney Way from the other side.

Google Car Crash “No Surprise”

15/03/2016

DOAADI

Computers & Tech, News, Transport

The US Transport Secretary is quoted as saying that a crash between a Google self-driving car and a bus in California a few weeks ago was “not a surprise”.

It seems that the accident was the fault of the Google car – the bus didn’t do what the Google-bot’s program said it should – and that’s what caused the collision. Mind you, I’m sure that Google’s scientists see that as a fault of the bus driver, and not of their car. Perhaps the solution is to make autonomous vehicles more visible for we inferior humans so that we automatically sense danger when one is near?

Maybe they could stick a lot of Audi badges on them.

Ratboy Just Can’t Let It Go

03/02/2016

DOAADI

Funny, News

I saw this story on the BBC website. Everything about it is pathetic, but… well, wait and see.

It starts off with the title. This is the kind of classy headline you’d get in The Sun, not the BBC: Rat in Trowbridge pub ‘ran up man’s leg and stole chip’. Of course, just in case this doesn’t paint the picture clearly enough, the Beeb has provided a helpful picture, depicting:

a pub
a rat
some chips

Reece Coombs, the hapless victim in all this, claims the rat was “sewer sized” – so large, in fact, that when it made the alleged contact, poor Mr Coombs reckoned it felt like he’d been “kicked”. He doesn’t mention anything about being left unconscious or requiring emergency surgery or anything, so we must assume that the rat confined itself just to delivering a good kicking.

Wetherspoon, the pub’s operators, evacuated the place immediately and called in pest control. They refunded Mr Coombs (and all the other guests, I would imagine). Naturally, they apologised explaining that fly-tipping in an alley next to the pub may have been responsible. Certainly, I do not live under the impression that Wetherpoon either encourages or subsequently ignores rats on its premises. But this isn’t enough for Reece Coombs. Oh dear me no. He hasn’t had his full 15 minutes of fame yet (evidenced by the standard selfie-style photo of him in the article), and is apparently “still not happy”. He plans to take the matter further.

I wonder where else there is to go with it. The European Court of Human Rights? Amnesty International? Rentokil?

If it was me, it would be over and done with by now. I wouldn’t be craving attention over it, and I probably just wouldn’t go back to the pub involved for a while. I mean, there are other pubs.

New ADI Magazine: Intelligent Instructor

09/01/2016

DOAADI

ADI, News

As many instructors will be aware, there used to be a newsstand magazine called ADI News (for a time, a column relating to this blog was published in it). It was a very good read, and it was a shame that it went into an online-only format.

Anyway, last month I was notified that a new and independent magazine was launching called Intelligent Instructor. I subscribed and received my first copy today (issue no. 2). I can wholeheartedly recommend it to all instructors out there – although Paul (the Editor) might disagree, from my point of view it picks up the old ADI News style and packs a surprisingly large amount of information for an A5 publication across almost 70 pages. In my opinion, an ADI magazine simply has to be available in hard copy format.

If you subscribe now, they are offering the first three issues free, and 25% off the usual magazine stand price.

One thing I did learn – and Intelligent Instructor appears to be more timely with its information than the old ADI News used to be – is that Mercedes Benz has shut down its driving academy in the UK as of 31 December 2015. The 28 franchisees have been told they can return their cars, or continue to lease them – presumably as solo ADIs, which means they’ve got to build up their businesses from scratch again.

Note that I do not write for the magazine, and my views above are based solely on having read it. Oh, and Paul has indicated that it will be in test centre waiting rooms at some point (like ADI News used to be).

How Low Can You Go?

03/01/2016

DOAADI

News

Manchester is hardly a recognised seat of culture, and barely a week goes by without someone who lives their (or very close by) being involved with something nasty. Manchester has (or certainly had until recently) the highest drug death rate in the UK. As a result, it has areas which are virtually no-go, according to the UN, and it is compared to Mexico and Brazil in this respect. Manchester’s annual bill for dealing with alcohol abuse is more than £1.2 billion.

This normalisation of drug and alcohol use perhaps explains why so many people are wetting themselves over this photograph, which went viral in the last few days.

Some are claiming it is art, having gone so far as you explain that it conforms to the so-called golden ratio – a mathematical condition which, when applied to art and design, results in aesthetically pleasing products. Some guy at the BBC – who was apparently responsible for it going viral – sees it as an opportunity to write another article about it, filled with as many social networking clichés he can muster.

I’m sure many people will remember the story about the Emperor’s new clothes. I do.

So, let us put this pretentious crap to one side and regain sight of what the photograph REALLY shows: a group of Mancunians in various poses of drunkenness and lawlessness. Like this guy, who simultaneously manages to break the law (by having a glass bottle of beer in the street), and demonstrate why the law is there in the first place (by being pissed out of his idiot skull).

And this one, whose peanut-sized brain appears to prefer violence rather than laying down in traffic when it is soaked in alcohol.

Then there are the bit players – the woman who appears to be offering the standard “advice” to police as they arrest what is quite possibly her boyfriend. And another woman behind her, who is probably doing much the same to another officer.

Finally, let’s just remember that this photo represents the tiniest fraction of innumerable similar events across Manchester and most other cities on New Year’s Eve – and on pretty much any other night of the year, come to that.

The BBC guy is full of himself, and boasts that his original tweet has been picked up by French, Australian, and New Zealand commentators. But no one is commenting on how bad it makes the UK look.

Just me.

Motorhead’s Lemmy Dies, Aged 70

29/12/2015

DOAADI

Music, News

Sad to hear that Lemmy, iconic Motorhead frontman, has died from cancer at the age of 70.

He’s had to cancel gigs over the last few months due to ill health, yet he was only diagnosed a couple of days ago.

He was a hard drinking, smoking kind of guy, and if the interviews are anything to go by he didn’t ease up much right to the end.

And yet another one bites the dust. There soon won’t be any decent rockers left.

More Examiner Strikes in December

25/11/2015

DOAADI

ADI, DVSA, News

Another alert from DVSA concerning planned strikes from 1st to 4th of December by PCS union fossils within DVSA.

I have said before, and make no apologies for saying it again, but not all examiners are stupid enough to be in the union, and of those that are, not all of those are stupid enough to go on strike. Even DVSA is pretty much saying this in its emails.

DVSA is doing all it can to make sure that tests go ahead as planned. Not all examiners are union members, and many test centres are expected to be operating as normal.

You should turn up for your test no matter what – if you don’t, you might not be able to claim expenses. Keep your fingers crossed, especially if you live north of Sheffield or in London. That’s where the stupidity seems to be concentrated.

Ageism: Another Update

12/11/2015

DOAADI

ADI, Bad Drivers, News

Well, the “Desreen’s Law” petition is closing in on 200,000 signatures in less than a week! Let’s just look at a sample of some very important posts people have made.

My grandfather is 90 and still driving despite having early onset dementia. The family have tried to intervene, reason with him and spoken with his GP. At the moment there is very little anyone can do to stop him driving; he is so stubborn but nobody has the power to force him to stop…

my 90 year old father in law nearly killed a cyclist – he had very poor vision, was deaf and had slow reactions. He refused to surrender his licence as it was ‘his independence’. My neighbours 85 yr old mother demolished a garden wall and 2 other cars – she mistook the accelerator for the brake and I was on duty in A/E on the day an elderly driver killed a 2 year old boy and maimed his father by driving over a sea wall – again an automatic car and misjudgement with lack of reactions. Finally, my husband was ‘rear ended’ just 2 weeks ago by an 82 year old lady driver, still accelerating when she hit him. He was stationary in the road, indicating to turn right when clear. Her excuse for writing off her car and his was that she had been driving that road for nearly 50 years and “no-one usually stops there to turn right” (into our own driveway incidentally!). My husband still has whiplash. Each driver filled in a ‘tick box’ form by DVLA at 70 stating they were fit to drive…

I would sign this petition a thousand times over if I could. On the 22nd of December last year, my Dad was killed in a motorbike accident. A 90 year old male, had failed to see him when turning into a junction, and cross right in front of my Dad’s path, causing him to die instantly. After months of waiting and trials, he had his license taken from him and a suspended sentence. Because of his age they didn’t send him down. For myself and my family no sentence will ever be enough. I am the eldest of his four children, the youngest was 5 when it happened. He also left behind my mum, who hasn’t been the same since…

We just had an incident in Edinburgh where an OAP was reported driving 4 miles the wrong side of a local motorway narrowly missing 2 head on collisions and had absolutely no idea of the situation…

My own mother was a blustering older driver – with many recent minor accidents (all that could have been worse) – when I would ask her to consider giving-up driving – the response was anger and waffle about freedom – but when she declared she had MS – the DVLA said she would have to re-test – she quietly did not bother proceeding – leading me to make the conclusion she KNEW she was no longer ‘up to it’…

Our eight year old son was killed by a 74 year old driver who we believe was banned because he suffered epileptic fits and was trying out his friend’s new car. As no witnesses came forward his friend took the call, said he was driving and that our son was the one at fault…

My grandad passed when he was 96,but didnt give up the car until he was 90, he was still driving even when it would endanger him and others around him. In his mind, he was able and young, but his body was the opposite. After countless family disputes he eventually gave up the car, under the condition that my dad drove them to get shopping/appointments…

As an older driver I am well aware that my reactions are not what they were. I plan to stop driving in the New Year, I shall be 66…

Someone who I know was killed by an oap driving out of his drive onto a main road so I fully support this…

When my husband was diagnosed with dementia it was our responsibility to inform DVLA which we did, many don’t. Something has to be changed…

As a serving firefighter I have been to several incidents where the elderly driver has been at fault and killed themselves or others…

I’m signing because I am 66 and I am fully aware that my reactions are slowing down especially at night…

I work in Traffic Management and elderly drivers cause most of the problems due to poor sight and reactions…

As a GP it is often left to me to work out which older drivers are safe or not to drive. I have no special training for this task. Older people who are no longer fit to drive often lack insight into this and their families also collude with them on this issue in my experience… As age increases reaction times and awareness can decrease and so I believe that proper retesting is essential for the safety of everyone.

A friend of a friend died in a similar situation leaving behind a wife and a young child and dying too young…

I saw my Dad’s driving as he aged, and yes, he was a danger in his latter days. Older drivers must be tested for the their, and everyone else’s safety…

With the help of my brother and putting a lot a pressure on my dad’s GP, I got his driving licence taken away from him. He is 87 frail but then got a diagnosis of vascular dementia. I work in the memory clinic I knew he was no longer capable. It was a very difficult decision but I could not have forgiven myself if something like that had happened…

My best friends brother was killed while riding his bike home from work by an 89 year old driver. The consequences are devastating…

I had to stop my father from driving because of his condition (Vascular Parkinsonism). He was 86. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but I’d do it again in a heartbeat…

My husband and 2 daughters were nearly wiped out on the M4 motorway earlier this year. An elderly lady pulled out and caused my husband to make an evasive action…

I know two drivers who both have serious health problems and are determined to keep driving despite having had recent accidents…

I have a neighbor who as dementia and has had it for a year,he has still been driving,Just been assessed because of this,Been waiting weeks for the results,His wife a none driver has been going out with him,Due to family pressures and me speaking up about me concerns,He has stopped,But car is still outside the house,I believe he is 72…

In dec 2011 my mother was knocked down and seriously injured .. She spent 9 days on life support and a bleed to the brain .. Her calf muscle was ripped off her leg and she had to be given cpr as her heart stopped 3 times .. This happened because a car mounted the pavement and knocked her down .. The driver was 82 years of age and hit the accelerator instead of the brake on his Aston Martin!!!! .. He was fined £480 and banned for life .. My mother has to live with her injuries for the rest of her life…

An elderly driver fell asleep mounted the pavement injuring my son and sister in law. My mother in law was killed…

Ma family was killed on the A1 near Gosforth because an elderly driver went up the wrong way on the opposite carriage…

My mum-in-law has dementia. Dementia has robbed her of her reasoning abilities. I had to disable her car to stop her from driving. Neither the DVLA nor the GP would help…

Fortunately my neighbour escaped such a tragedy. An elderly man accelerated and mounted the pavement just outside her house where she was with her children. Thankfully it was only the wall he destroyed…

Regular readers will know that I have a strong opinion regarding older drivers and their frequently flawed self-assessment of their abilities. But I must say that even I was taken aback by the scale of the problem represented by these quotations. And these are just sampled from the first hundred or so posts made within the last two hours! There are thousands more.

My own father is now nearly 90. He suffers from macular degeneration and can hardly see properly at all anymore. About 15 years ago, when his condition wasn’t as advanced (though his eyesight was still seriously impaired), he wanted to go down to Portsmouth to see the tall ships. He asked if he could borrow my car – at the time he was still self-assessing himself as fit to drive, though he hadn’t actually driven since shortly after he retired. I refused point blank, which upset him. But then I found out he was planning to hire a van to drive down there (and to sleep in – all the hotels were fully booked). I told him straight that if he hired any vehicle I would immediately report him to the police! He didn’t go, and shortly after that he admitted to me that he had decided that he couldn’t see well enough and had decided not to renew his licence.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who can understand just how fine a line there was between him driving and not driving (or rather, attempting to drive) a 400 mile round trip. I shiver when I think how many times a similar scenario must get played out – and how many times the outcome will be different to the one involving my dad.

That’s why we need “Desreen’s Law”.

A handful of people commenting on the petition have said it is ageist.

This is soooo ageist, I dont want to sign it thank you…

I find this petition out of order and blaming elderly drivers when the percentage of accidents causing death is far higher among young inexperienced drivers…

These people are idiots. Really, they are. Young people causing problems because they are prats is not the same as old people causing problems because they are physically and mentally incapable of handling a car anymore. Nor does the fact that an elderly driver not being able to drive anymore, so your nan or grandpa won’t be able to come and see you as easily, make it a bad idea to introduce re-testing.

Some commenters have trotted out the old “re-test everybody” mantra. Although I personally wouldn’t have a problem with that, it would be physically impossible to implement. However, it side-steps the core issue of older drivers having health problems which are entirely age-related.

Category - News