In the distant days when we worked, recruitment was a regular part of our jobs.  One lesson we learned very quickly was not to slag off your previous employer when being interviewed for a new job.  As a recruiter, moans and groans about the previous employer simply opened your eyes to the potential for similar behaviour in a new job.  The aftermath of the election and the Kevin Pietersen saga certainly reinforce it.  Being told you’re not wanted for a job anymore is traumatic, but sounding off about perceived unfairness in your previous role won’t get potential employers beating a path to your door.  Pietersen is an immense talent – no argument, but with it comes self-interest, and based on his book, a poor view of what he perceives as lesser mortals, even when they are teammates.  Sounding off about previous colleagues generally comes back to bite you. International cricket is vital to KP at what must be the back end of his career, but previous events make that unlikely, if not impossible.  We shall watch his performances at Surrey with some interest, assuming of course that he plays a few games.

    Politicians fall into the same trap.  Andy Burnham has undergone a Road to Damascus moment as he bids for leadership of the Labour Party.  Suddenly he has become aware of mistakes they made when last in government.  It appears they did spend too much, should back a referendum on Europe, accept that immigration is an issue and bury the mansion tax. Oddly, he never spotted these problems before, but as an opportunity occurs his mind opens. We believe you Andy. Woops, there go those flying pigs again. Perhaps we become more cynical as age exposes us to more events, but however cynical we become it’s never enough to keep up! 

    The World Wildlife Fund says that one in four people still believe the Dodo exists.  Clearly it’s time to stop organizing tours of the House of Lords!

    The Institute of Advanced Motorists has called for more help for over 70’s to decide whether or not to keep driving.  I wonder who the IAM believe should give that help and what they would like to charge!  Whilst quoting the increase in the number of over 70’s that are driving, there was no data from the insurance companies.  How about a comparison of the percentage of accidents versus the percentage population of over 70’s?  That has to be a genuine comparison.  Then the AIM can target those who really need help.

    Clarkson keeps getting in the news even though Top Gear is on hold.  Argentinian prosecutors are appealing to overturn the judge’s refusal to try JC and his mates over the Porsche number plate swap.  The team will be laughing all the way to the bank.  Every attempt raises their profile and puts another zero on their salary when their new show kicks off.  We had a great idea in the pub.  By using Google’s driverless cars, the lads could compete anywhere in the world from the safety of Clarkson’s kitchen, using drone technology.  The cars would all be equal in performance and it would be great to see how Clarkson manipulated the results to stay a winner.  Drone technology would be essential since the size of the cars would mean only Hammond could actually get in one.  And how would May make it slower?  Come on lads, when are you making the comeback!

    A restaurant in Shandong, China is offering discounts for women based on the length of their skirts – the shorter the skirt, the bigger the discount.  This women only offer won’t catch on in the UK due to discrimination laws.  The courts wouldn’t be able to cope with the number of cases that would instantly be raised by the plethora of genders we now define.  And that is before Scots in kilts began arriving at the restaurant in droves.  We’re sure the SNP would take up their case.

    Went in a pub the other day and smoker’s corner outside was so busy that we could smell the smoke that drifted in every time the door opened.  It reminded me of a comment from Ross Parker that having smoking and non-smoking sections in the same room is like having urinating and non-urinating sections in a swimming pool.  He’d obviously never taken part in water aerobics for the elderly.