Title goes here. Something catchy and ever so clever...

Well here we are. I haven't updated this blog for *coughs* years. It hardly matters. It's the equivalent of writing in a diary no one else can read anyway.

Recent events have moved me to write again. Partly because we have, seemingly, another example of the 'it wasn't me, it's not my fault, can't prove a thing' culture.

I've been to Civitavecchia and Livorno on a cruise a few years ago. Quite shocked that this can happen to a liner so quickly due to negligence and error. More shocked that the days of the Captain being the last to leave seem to be gone. Also surprised at his insistence that he did nothing wrong. The courts will have to decide whether being in lifeboat in the sea counts as 'co-ordinating the rescue'. I know what I think.

As an interpreter, sometimes, I have a lot of responsibility. Most of the time (99%) it's not in life threatening situations. I'd like to think if I was ever in charge of 114,000 tons of metal and over 4,000 lives I'd hold my hand up and admit if I'd made a mistake. I know I would if I cocked up an interpreting assignment.

Where did our acceptance of personal responsibility go?

And while we're on the subject of large ocean going vessels and catastrophic folly (oh yes we were, did you miss the briefing?), I find it far too coincidental that as one large ship goes down we are in the process of debating whether we should spend squillions on another.

Unfortunately I've managed to hear/see/catch/be-anally-probed-about some of the arguments about whether we (Royal we?) should in some way (taxpayer/private/rob-our-collective-pension-fund) pay for a new Royal yacht. In between spitting incandescent feathers of pure rage I found myself reading about the Govt's attempts to stop benefit scroungers. The Lords (tugs forelock *Gawd bless the bally lot of 'em) have now passed the Govt proposals to introduce PIP and more rigorous testing for disabled people. The aim is reduce benefit fraud by 20% thus saving millions. Cos we're living in austere times doncha know.

It could be said I'm slightly left of centre. I prefer to think of myself as pro-democracy. And as soon as we have one I'm going to start voting again. However, I'm also against the scroungers in society and support cost saving measures. With this in mind I'd like to humbly submit a scrounger for the consideration of the Daily Fail.

Her name is Liz and she lives in London. If the DWP act quickly maybe we can stop her getting a free yacht at the expense of disabled people, 700,000 public sector workers, the NHS, Uncle Tom Cobley and my cat Tig.

Dirty deals done dirt cheap

Looks like the CEO of Action Deafness has had the save the Leicester Deaf Centre Facebook page shut down.

Must have got him rattled.

Trouble at t'Mill

Well it looks like Action Deafness is closing the Loughborough Deaf Centre on Aug 31st.

On the one hand they say this is because it needs £300,000 of essential maintenance work.

On the other hand this could be complete b*&%"*&s.

One of the groups that use the centre put the estimate at £5,000. Some discrepancy here wouldn't you say?

Certainly Action Deafness's accounts have nearly always shown a deficit but in recent years this has become huge and it seems more likely it is a cost cutting exercise and they are using the maintenance costs as an excuse. In 2005/06 the deficit was £77,000. In 2006/07 it was £311,000 and for 2007/08 it was £328,000. Some would argue that this has to fall at the feet of the CEO who was employed in Oct 2005. Well, the buck has to stop somewhere you know.

As a matter of fact since October 2005 there have been at least 11 people on the wrong end of restructuring and redundancies there. Yet, no money saved. So how come?

In most organisations the goal of redundancies is to save money so why is this not happening at Action Deafness? As some of these jobs positions are not even 12 months old it begs the question who conducted a viability assessment prior to creating these jobs? Oh, that would be the CEO then.

In fact, it would seem that no one is asking the question of whether instead of making all these redundancies at the expense of staff, would it not be simpler to get a new CEO, one with better management skills. Except for one person, an unnamed crusader, Deaf Power who has set up a Facebook page dedicated to this question. Quite rightly, they are concerned that Leicester Deaf Centre is next on the list for closure. And with this amount of annual deficit they have every right to be.

There is an online petition to save the Loughborough Deaf Centre and I would also urge people to please sign it and show support. It may already be too late as this has been presented as a fait accompli with absolutely no consultation with the Deaf Community, however, strong resistance might finally persuade the trustees that they have the wrong person in charge.

Just heard that a guy on my PGDIP course died on Friday. Peter Orford. Was a really nice chap, had decided to have a career change and was going from teaching at Doncaster School for the Deaf into interpreting. He had an enthusiasm for life and I think his presence on the course was appreciated by all. He was very short and was affectionately called 'pocket Pete' by many of us.

He also had prostate cancer.

I, for one, never even knew he was ill. My last communication with him was about the title of this blog, as he was a fan of Bladerunner too.

So, In Pace Requiescat, Pete. Sorry we didn't get the chance to talk some more. Travel in peace.

'All these memories will be lost, like tears in the rain.'
Roy Batty

F't grin as they say up North

These are the people that did Mark Thomas's calling cards for bribing MP's. Well worth a look.

http://www.b3ta.com/

My favourite Twitter spoofs to date;

Its the stupid economy

Saw Mark Thomas tonight at the Y Theatre. Pure genius. Obviously there is plenty to rant about in the current political climate. His lawyers have already written to the Speaker (soon to be ex), Michael Martin, with the threat of legal action if he doesn't create an independent review.

His stand up routine is now focusing on trying to create a political manifesto and then buy a peer to raise the issues in the House of Lords as a bill.

To this end he has set up an independent not for profit company to accept pledges of money that if successful could see your policy tabled in the Lords. You can pledge money at http://www.comparethemarquis.com/ No money will actually change hands unless he can actually buy one of the buggers. In which case he'll be round for the dosh on Monday. Also check out this site for the fake calling cards that Mark and friends put in the phone boxes around Westminster. Classic.

To check on the manifesto statements for the cities he has covered so far visit his website at http://www.markthomasinfo.com/

The audience tonight managed to get Leicester's Manifesto statement to read; 'All people who sell homeopathic medicine should not be allowed to get conventional treatment on the NHS. They must be treated using homeopathic remedies.' So if they are in a car crash get the dock leaves out.

He's playing at the Y again tomorrow night so we should actually get two statements for Leicester. Oh and he's going to be outside the Tax offices at 4.30pm tomorrow (20th) on Causeway Lane campaigning for us to invade Jersey. Apparently we lose £100 billion in taxes to rich people, companies etc shoveling their money away in tax havens. So the £400 million in alleged benefit fraud is minor in comparison. The only solution seems to be invade Jersey. At least we know we could win that one.

Mark Thomas at his best. If you get the chance go and see him. He's more an investigative journalist disguised as a comedian.

What's in a name?

I should probably explain why I'm posting as Shepherd.

It's not some esoteric desire for anonymity. Rather more mundane actually. My best mate is getting married in August and I'm part of TBM (Team Best Man). This is an idea that should be copyrighted. Why have one best man when you can have 3?

You can check out other blogs by another TBM member at http://wd-150.blogspot.com/ and of course follow the blog of 'The Groom' at http://latetolife.blogspot.com/.

Anyway, I've known 'The Groom' for 21 years now and taught Karate to him and the other members of TBM. Good blokes, one and all. As you may notice if you check the other blogs instead of a traditional stag do we are making a short film. A creature feature if you will, called 'STAG!'. This entailed us all going camping in Rutland over the Bank Holiday weekend and filming various scenes and strapping cameras to cars with masking tape, the gadget that holds your sat nav thingy and prayer. All highly enjoyable.

And yes, beer was consumed.

I'd like to add that no sausages were harmed in the making of the film but this would be wholly untrue. In fact I'm not sure I've ever eaten as many sausages as this before.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Shepherd. TBM all have code names. In the best traditions of English film and theatre we have Preacher, Shepherd and I can't remember the other one. I personally think we should have gone for 'Broadsword' and 'Danny Boy' but they only use two codenames in 'WED' and there are three of us. It's all very 'boys own' vintage stuff which is cool as I'm 40 but feel 109.

Preacher obviously gets to make the speech and Shepherd gets to do crowd control. Which with my temperament maybe isn't such a good idea...