I was watching Central News, when a story about the BBC caught my attention. Following this, was yet another story, about a Home Office failure to implement the law.

In the case of the BBC, someone forgot to hand over a sum of £106.000 which it had raised for charity. The money was raised from more than 20 programmes, using premium rate phone-ins.
A spokesperson for the BBC explained it away, by saying it was an oversight, and the person or persons responsible, would be disciplined. The money has now been handed over!
Don't you just hope, the money paid over to the charities, included all the interest it had accrued, whilst sitting in a bank account.

Next up, the immigration blunder. Two immigrants enter the country legally, each with a 2year visa. When their two years were up, and their visas had run out, the Home Office failed to follow it up.
These two, now officially illegal immigrants, then go on to commit murder. Not once, but twice!!!
Both are now in jail, serving a 30year sentence each.
Guess who is footing the bill, for this pair's stay in one of her majesty's hotels.

A Home Office spokesperson, commenting on this latest scandal, assures us, "We will have to introduce a counting in and out procedure, at the border."
It takes a great leap of faith to believe anything, the so called, people-in-charge say.
These incompetent Government Departments, are more resemblant of a guard dog without any teeth.

Now all this has set me thinking. How do the people who head-up departments at the BBC, and in Government etc. manage to hold onto their positions, when they make so many mistakes. It's clear they all have something in commom, INCOMPETENCE (that word again) plus, an extraordinary talent for shutting the stable door, when the horse has already bolted.

So how do you think a Job Spec for one of these positions, might be worded?
What desirable qualities might the employing organization be looking for.............

1. Must be a complete stranger to the truth!
2. Incompetence absolutely essential!
3. A degree in Buck-Passing, or relevant experience!
4. Have minimal communication skills, particularly
where underlings are concerned.
5. Training will be given in all aspects of
wool-pulling, over the eyes of Joe and Jill public.
Some prior knowledge would be an advantage.

Maybe you can think of a few more!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sun's shining, and I'm so glad. Not because I'm a worshipper, but because I won't need the heating on - which should bring my Gas Bill Direct Debit down to a figure I can afford. I think I'll take another look at the Eurovision Song Contest!!

Thursday May 8th: A beautiful summer's evening finds me at another good local venue - Bewdley's 'Cock and Magpie' - being entertained by the excellent new Blues and R&B band Mojo Hand.

NICK THE BLOG - BLOG 8
Welcome to my eighth blog for the Shuttle newspaper. A big thank you for all the praise I've recieved. This weeks blog is all about understanding the negative behaviour of some of our more anally retentive readers. what is considered polite in one culture can often be quite rude or simply strange in another. Here are a few suggestions that could possibly create a little harmony.

there have been recent incidences at the West Midlands Safari Park of delinquent elephants threatening car drivers, even going so far as hurling stones and masonry. Indeed, one elephant went so far as to threaten patrons with a flick knife. When questioned, the elephant refused to confirm how he aquired the flick knife nor who he obtained it from. The elephant was unavailable for comment at the time of writing. However the culprit responsible was said to have been hosed down and made to stand on the naughty spot for his misdemeanors.
In an unrelated incident, a woman was set upon in her car by a gang of giraffes. The animals were displaying threatening behavior and one of them sat on the bonnet of the car while the others surrounded the stricken driver. Wielding baseball bats, the giraffes demanded she hand over all the animal feed in her possession otherwise things would get nasty.
Park wardens arrived just in time to lead the giraffes away to their paddock for a severe telling off. The zebras and wilderbeast spoke of their shock and dismay at the actions taken by certain species and pleaded with the public not to tar them all with the same brush. The lions and tigers both commented that the behavior was unacceptable in polite society.
One of the baboons, who was part of the daring escape some years ago and settled in Bewdley commented that the monkeys were always recieving bad press due to their fascination with windscreen wipers.
So there you have it... a fun day on Safari.

Las week, rumour has it that police were called by members of supposed road maintenance outfit Balfor Beatty. There were complaints of abuse from over zealous passing motorists.