I first met a guy called Michael Jeewa in the early 1990s who was a refugee from the Burmese regime and he told me some of the things that the regime were doing.  The imprisonment of Suu Kyi was one thing, but that I reproduce below from the Independent  is just evil.

Patients face eviction after Suu Kyi visit

Associated Press

Saturday, 20 November 2010

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Burma's government ordered more than 80 people at a shelter for patients with HIV and Aids to leave after a visit by newly-freed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the centre's organisers said today.

Suu Kyi, released a week ago from seven years under house arrest, visited the shelter on the outskirts of Rangoon on Wednesday, promising to provide it with badly needed medicines. She also addressed a crowd of more than 600 who came to see her.

A day after her visit, government officials told patients they would have to leave by next week or face legal action because the centre's permit was not being renewed, said Phyu Phyu Thin, a pro-democracy activist who founded the operation.

By law, home owners must seek government permission every two weeks to allow visitors to stay overnight.

"We have been allowed to renew our resident permits in the past. I think authorities want to pressure us because of aunty's (Suu Kyi's) visit to the shelter," said Zeyar, a member of Suu Kyi's officially disbanded political party and one of the organisers of the shelter. Zeyar uses only one name.

The military regime had kept Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, under detention for more than 15 of the last 21 years, and her release last weekend drew thousands of cheering supporters into the streets.

Suu Kyi has since called for a "peaceful revolution" to bring democracy to Burma but has made it clear she is seeking dialogue with the ruling generals.

The shelter, which includes a small wooden house and a two-storey building of wood and thatch walls, currently accommodates 82 patients including young children, offering them housing, food, medicine and educational opportunities. Zeyar said health authorities offered today to move the patients to their own HIV centre.

"The patients have the right to make their own choice. The pressure by local authorities has made our patients very sad, which will adversely affect their health," he said.

In a separate incident, the popular Burma-language sports publication First Eleven was ordered to close down for two weeks, an editor said, as punishment for a front page headline on a football story that read: "Sunderland Freeze Chelsea United Stunned By Villa & Arsenal Advance To Grab Their Hope."

Some letters in the headline were shaded a different colour from the rest, meaning it could have been read as "Su Free, Unite & Advance To Grab The Hope."

New Car

Well guys, it is that time that comes around every 3 to 5 years when it is time to choose our new car on the Motability Scheme.

Whereas I love looking at shiny new broom-brooms I really hate those condescending slimy turds who sell them. 

They can see that you are disabled and assume that you know sweet fuck all about the car in the showroom. 

In reality I have done many months research before I even step foot in the showroom.  I know exactly what the car does and which adaptions I need to install.

“Can I have a test-drive in an automatic model?”  reply is inevitably; “Sorry sir, we only have a manual demonstrator.”  Annoyance.   Why do they bother to be Motability dealers if they cannot give disabled drivers a test drive?

I want a test drive in a Ford Galaxy, can I get an automatic one to test.  No!  Why?  I went across the road to the Vauxahll dealer.  Can I get a demonstration in an Insignia automatic.  No!

I’ve got money to spend, for fucks sake and Alison and I have to live with the car for at least the next 3 to 5 years.  We want to make sure it is right for us.  Is that unreasonable?  No.

We decided that were going to go for another wheelchair accessible vehicle.  A VW Caravelle with a Underfloor Side-Entry lift. 

Bloody Motability change the rules on couples buying vehicles using both our Mobility Allowances. Consequently we are forced to lease using one and apply for financial assistance to fund the massive five-figure deposit.  We fill in the form and send it off.

Then we get this phone call from some chinless wonder from Motability suggesting that we look at something cheaper that is totally useless to us and our lifestyle.  We would not need to go for something cheaper if they hadn’t changed the fucking rules.

I spent months researching which vehicle suits us best.   The most appropriate layout, the type of wheelchair restraint that I can operate, etc.  When are these people going to realise that we are the experts in our own situation.

They make me sick!
I feel better now that I have got that off my chest.

Hearing aid moulds

I hate my hearing aid moulds!  There I’ve said it.  They really are the most uncomfortable lumps of plastic in the entire universe.

So what have two lumps of plastic done to become so offensive and become the object of total inane hatred, I hear you ask?  (Well, actually I cannot coz I’ve taken the hearing aids off).

The answers are:

They are made from hard plastic and they have never fitted properly and they cause my hearing aids to whistle constantly, which is annoying in the extreme!

They don’t let your ears breathe and therefore they become sweaty and itchy all the time.  Because of this bacteria love residing in my nice, sweaty, warm lug holes and this produces the most disgusting smell.

Lastly, to crown their anti-social nature, I’ve now become allergic to the plastic that the damn things are made from. As a result I now have this burning itch in my ears all the time.  If they were people they would be given an ASBO!

I understand that I can get new Hypoallergenic (gosh that’s a big word) moulds from my local audiology clinic and have been waiting 6 months for an appointment.

I cannot wait for the day when I can take a 5lb hammer to my current ones!

Don’t you just HATE your friends when you are skint and they send you a photograph by SMS of their holiday and to make things even worse, they’ve gone to somewhere you really love.

Another policy shot from the hip.  I really wish the ConDems would engage their brains before they engage their mouths. 

My grandparents moved into their new council house in 1924, which was on an estate (or scheme as it was called in Scotland) was built as part of the “Homes fit for Heroes” campaign after the First World War.  Tenants were mainly ex-service men, like my grandfather, and their new families.  My grandparents were very proud of their new home, as were their neighbours and looked after their houses and their estate.

The estate was still well looked after when my Grandfather died in 1988.

How does Camoron expect to maintain the same level of social cohesion in areas of social housing as in the example stated above, unless we continue to give social housing tenants life-long tenure over their homes? 

This new proposal will only create more social problems in these areas as tenants will not develop pride in their communities.

Dignity in Dying (aka The Voluntary Euthanasia Society)

Dignity in Dying (aka The Voluntary Euthanasia Society) are at trying to find a new angle to bump off terminally ill and disabled people.  They obviously regard our lives as being unworthy of life.  The BBC News film has been carefully manipulated to portray Tony Nicklinson’s impairments to be as devastating as possible, which suits Dignity in Dying’s aim of legalising assisted suicide for all terminally ill and disabled people.  I for one will continue to resist.

I am becoming agitated by the over-use of the word hero and it being applied to almost anyone.  This, I fear, devalues those who do perform truly heroic feats.

 

You barely have to turn on the television news to hear the word being over used.

 

The Oxford Dictionary defines a hero as:-

 

Hero noun (plural heroes)

 

Ø a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities: a war hero

Ø the chief male character in a book, play, or film, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathise

Ø (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths

 

Are soldiers returning from Afghanistan heros?  No, of course they are not.  They are just doing a job that they signed up for.  Are their wounded comrades heros?  No, not usually.  Are the dead automatically given heroic status?  No, they shouldn’t be. 

 

 

Are disabled people heros?  No, not automatically.  This “Telethon Heroism” was invented as a money-raising tool and has been over used and again this over use diminishes the achievements of the few who certainly do act heroically. 

 

Are sports men and women Heros?  NO!

 

The true heros are the few who performed some form of extraordinary feat.  Those who are truly heroic are usually extremely modest about it.   

 

I really think it is about time that we restored the word “hero” to its true meaning.

BBC News - Squat toilets in Rochdale shopping centre

" BBC News - Squat toilets in Rochdale shopping centre:

When driving through the Auvergne region of France a few years ago I stumbled across a "wheelchair acccessible" one of these in a picnic area, complete with extra-wide door, space for a wheelchair next to the "hole in the floor" and handrails all round the walls. Couldn't work out how to use it............................... Decided to drive to the next service area!

http://apps.facebook.com/rnid-hearing-check/?source=wall&ref=mf

Just done the RNID hearing check on Facebook and guess what folks, it told me that my hearing was below normal. Yep, I knew that – I’m 60% deaf in both ears!
At least it proves that it works.
Go on have a go for yourselves at http://apps.facebook.com/rnid-hearing-check/?source=wall&ref=mf

Nalaga'at Theatre Comapny

The Israeli theatre company Nalaga'at are claiming to have “devised a unique experience for London audiences to experience the sensations felt by their blind and deaf actors.” See hyperlink below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10548850.stm

This is of course total nonsense as it does not give the audiences the psychological experience of being a blind or deaf person.

It reminds me of the bad old days of “Disability Awareness Training” when trainers used to make participants wear ear defenders, blindfolds, sit in a wheelchair or wear labels depicting a particular impairment for a few minutes, and then and claim that the participant had experienced that impairment.

Personally I refuse to conduct this type of session, despite being asked to on a number of occasions and this coming up as a constant theme when asking participants what their expectations of a course are at the beginning.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with promoting Disability Equality.

This is from a “Heather Mills” mentality. I cannot see the added value in this from the viewpoint of the non-disabled person. All that the ear defender, blindfold or wheelchair offers them is a few minutes less sound, sight or a sit down in an uncomfortable wheelchair.

Linked Facebook, Twitter and Blogger

Well this took an enormous amount of intellectual activity, patience, perseverance and several pounds added to my swear box, but I actually managed to link my Facebook, Twitter and Blogger accounts.  Is nothing beyond me these days?