Kenyan Jean (by sarah)

So Jean has run out of reading books to read at school so they are giving her factual books instead, so far she has brought home ones on photography, democracy, Egypt and this weeks one was Kenya. She got very excited about this as I had done a talk on my time in Kenya a few weeks previously for Al's cub pack.

She started asking me questions and then disappeared upstairs - there was a picture of typical Kenyan dress so she ferreted through stuff and produced a costume she announced to be Kenyan Jean.

It was: my mothers old belly dancing outfit or harem pants from the 60's, tights with rainbow wellies (she said it was too cold for no shoes and sandles), then she had on a t-shirt with a sparkly 2000 on it covered in her victorian style red coat. On her head my hawaiian wrap around skirt - it was surprisingly effective though it looked more Ethiopian too me compared to what I saw in Kenya though I'm aware there were different styles of dress depending on Tribe etc...

She went to the park like it - initially I was worried that people might take it the wrong way but then I thought - you know she is not taking the micky she is interested in another culture and playing and as it was people only smiled.

Also I pointed out she looked a bit like my nan as she always used to wear a head scarf to stop the wind mucking up her hair! (think Mrs Figg out of Harry Potter!).

Bedroom Tax (by sarah)

I wrote this post a while ago but never go around to publishing it!

I saw something about bedroom tax or the spare room tax and thought 'Argh! We have spare rooms oh no!' but when I checked it out I found out that it wouldn't affect us. You would think I would be happy about this as if we had to pay it we would have to move or get lodgers or something as we couldn't afford it - but I am not happy.

I wish that it did affect us as at least then it would be fair even if it was horrible for us.

Instead this tax affects those who are on benifits or in social housing. The idea is that it will make people move to smaller houses but in many places there are not smaller houses availble meaning that they will have to pay. Charities like Shelter have warned it will lead to an increase in homeless families as they fail to be able to pay it and end up loosing the homes they are in.

Siblings will have to share - sounds sensible and money saving until you realise they are not taking the size of the room into account so a house with tiny rooms counts the same as one with huge rooms, nor do I agree with the age barrier for different sex siblings sharing. The sharing will lead to what has previously been considered over crowding. You are allowed an extra room if you have a disabled person living in the house but there are still issues with the families most going to be affected being those with disabled children and a move would mean they would have to have all the ramps and stuff put in all over again...

There is another issue here were a young people who may have been thinking of staying on in education will feel they can't - they move out and their parents get whacked with the tax. If they stay they will have to pay but they can be earning money to do so - if they can find a job.

If I'd been faced with this I would not have been able to go to university.

I think though that my anger actually lays in the fact that the person who thought this up has 18 bedrooms most of which are not used. Now a tax to solve the housing crisis because it made people take on lodgers... I might have swollowed.

Turning People Off (by sarah)

I take part in lots of online chats and things one of which is LitChat on Twitter. During one of the chats last year I upset soem 'trolls' and ended up with a rain of abuse - my crime?

I was talking to the guest author about his books, these were his Hate Club - he as a person is basically the oposite of my in the political sphere but we were having a good discussion and talking. He writes a column in some big American newspaper of something so is well known over there hence the rain of abuse.

Now the thing is that politically I am more in line with the attackers but their behaviour made me not want to be. They were not contributing to the group, they were gate crashing and being vile. They were not interested in actually talking about things but just ramming their own ideals down peoples throats and were being very personal about how they attacked. On top of that they targeted the people who were talking to the guest author and I can not make this right.

Worst of all is that some of their points were valid but the way they came over put everyones back up so no one is going to listen to them. They hurt their own cause.

From a social dynamics point of view the episode was interesting.

Crowd Sourced Creative Ventures (by sarah)

I love writing challenges and things like #FridayFlash and #StoryStarters on Twitter where there is an open community helping each other and giving writing prompts. So imagine my excitement when Neil Gaiman appeared on Twitter wanting prompts and inspiration for a set of stories!

He tweeted a question for each month with the hash tags #JanTales, FebTales and so on. I tried to stay up (he's in the US so time difference) to get all the months but only made it to July though the next morning I retraced and answered the remaining questions just for my own piece of mind.

I doubt any of my mine will be selected but that doesn't matter because if they are not then I have some prompts for my own writing.

The idea is sponsored by [BlackBerry who have been collecting all the tweets on a hub. And there will be charity calendar produced with crowd sourced art works as well (and yes I am hoping to do some pics for that to enter!).

This is a lovely idea as it draws in people and becomes something more than a story collection - it is in truth already a community - I have picked up one follower who was having issues with his writing prompt generator and I have suggested improvements to it and so on...

Anyway here are the questions and my answers:

Why is January so dangerous?

January is a time of change, the door way between one year and the next, a dangerous edge time #jantales

What is the strangest this to happen to you in February?

The strangest thing that has happened to me in Feb is I passed out in an art gallery & came round staring at a picture #febtale

What historical figure does March remind you of?

Queen Elizabeth the first as it was the first time I heard the legend of the Bisley Boy #Martale

What is your happiest memory of April

my little brother being born after so much waiting - that is the happiest April memory #AprTale

What is the weirdest gift you've ever been given in May?

A shovel over breakfast of a baby stoat in 3 pieces by an eccentric ancient aunt who thought we'd find it interesting. #MayTale

Where would you spend a perfect June?

The perfect June is spent with my family running workshops at festivals #Juntale not very interesting

What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?

segway shopping basket grannies fighting and asking for gin - it was of course the stilt walkers latest get up #JulTale

If August could speak, what would it say?

My gown is covered in berries help me clean them up in time for a new golden gown of leaves #AugTale

Tell me something you lost in September that meant a lot to you.

A friend washed away in a flash flood whilst he was collecting soil samples in a small town near my home #SeptTale

What mythical creature would you like to meet in October? (&why?)

The Bunyip because when I was 4 my Australian aunts told me about it and I've always liked the stories #OctTale

What would you burn in November, if you could?

Hatred #NovTale

Who would you like to see again in December?

Too many people who I can't

A Real Valentines Day (by sarah)

It is another valentines day and again me and Alaric have failed to do the traditional type of thing.

This time we built shelves for the kitchen (well got half way through building them with the help of my Dad).

We had take away pizza deal with wedges and stuff for 6 of us and I started reading the girls the complete works of Will S. on Jean's request.

We went through some songs that ment things to us and went to bed - mostly Nick Cave and Tori Amos.

We are happy with this - I don't think either of us was cut out for the standard hyped mush that happens with V-Day. As Alaric said it has become something repulsive with all the commercial stuff. The idea of having to buy expensive gifts to show your love :/

This doesn't mean we don't celebrate but it's more making cardboard hearts with the girls and covering stuff with glitter. Last year I knitted a phone cover for Al - that sort of thing.

This year I wrote him a poem.