I've signed up for a freelance journalism course.
I gave up my fledgling journalistic career years ago after I became a story I couldn't write.
Post Masters, with jobs in scant supply, waiting for the cheaper rent of a council property, I want something to do.
My teacher is very good. A successful journalist herself, she imparts her knowledge and wisdom to the rest of us.
Last week she assassinated my copy. This is good. This is why I'm doing the course. To learn.
It was copy about housing. This week we have to come up with a feature idea. I am not going to write something about housing and homeless people and life on benefits or any of that depressing stuff.
That's because in the future I won't want to dwell on that although at this juncture that's impossible to say. It's hard for me to think outside the situation I am in, it so dominates my life.
Tonight I'm going to think outside my navel. I may change my name to help the ideas along.
I dunno, something like "Grains are good for you'' by Henrietta Loafe or "Camping in the Lake District" by Summer Wether.
Freelancing is tricky when husband is the state so this really is the future when I...?
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Moving on and up
About a month ago the Council sent me its consultation document - Moving on and up, consultation on the future strategy for providing accommodation for homeless people.
Today I received a letter asking me to comment on it by May 15th.
It is nice of them to let me know their plans.
That "settled" accommodation does not mean "council flat" concerns me, obviously.
That leaving hostel rooms empty so that they might be sold off also concerns me greatly, for where will the homeless be placed when they turn up at the homeless person's unit with nowhere to go?
"Settled accommodation" means a private tenancy, which for many, is not settled at all (My experience, Hannah's, oh loads of people).
Smoke and mirrors I'm going to say. There are some of us who want to secure a foundation for our children and get off benefits, not keep bouncing them around living on what the Government believes is an adequate weekly minimum.
At the moment I'm better off on benefits. I want to be better off autonomous from the state. I want to be rich goddammit.
I shall ponder my response tomorrow. This evening I have homework to do.
Today I received a letter asking me to comment on it by May 15th.
It is nice of them to let me know their plans.
That "settled" accommodation does not mean "council flat" concerns me, obviously.
That leaving hostel rooms empty so that they might be sold off also concerns me greatly, for where will the homeless be placed when they turn up at the homeless person's unit with nowhere to go?
"Settled accommodation" means a private tenancy, which for many, is not settled at all (My experience, Hannah's, oh loads of people).
Smoke and mirrors I'm going to say. There are some of us who want to secure a foundation for our children and get off benefits, not keep bouncing them around living on what the Government believes is an adequate weekly minimum.
At the moment I'm better off on benefits. I want to be better off autonomous from the state. I want to be rich goddammit.
I shall ponder my response tomorrow. This evening I have homework to do.
Sometimes a stigmum's got to do what a stigmum's got to do
I have just sent an article to the Camden New Journal.
I'm not sure if this is brave or stupid.
That it's not a brilliant, well written, amazing article does not matter.
Such things do not matter to me right now.
Perhaps they should.
The brave or stupid query is whether I should send anything at all.
Even as a literary genius I would ponder this.
I don't see any other stigmum waiting for a council flat sending anything you see.
Biting the hand that feeds her and others.
Perhaps this is the thing.
I should keep my gob shut.
Or at least my fingers clear of the 'send' button.
Oh well, what's done is done.
It may come to nothing.
I'm not sure if this is brave or stupid.
That it's not a brilliant, well written, amazing article does not matter.
Such things do not matter to me right now.
Perhaps they should.
The brave or stupid query is whether I should send anything at all.
Even as a literary genius I would ponder this.
I don't see any other stigmum waiting for a council flat sending anything you see.
Biting the hand that feeds her and others.
Perhaps this is the thing.
I should keep my gob shut.
Or at least my fingers clear of the 'send' button.
Oh well, what's done is done.
It may come to nothing.
Swine Flu
OK, I admit that I'm enjoying the jokes. You know the sort, take your oinkment or you'll come out in a rasher.
This is so I do not panic. Sister in law is deputy head of the School That Kicked Me Out, a girl's boarding school. A Mexican student returned after the Easter holiday and was monitored for a week. I asked sister in law what would have happened had she contracted the illness. She replied that the girl would have been placed in isolation and the rest of the school administered Tamiflu.
Now 70% of the population will not get Tamiflu should there be a pandemic. I don't imagine that should a child get swine flu in my son's community school, the drug will be administered to all 400 plus pupils; there are so many such schools in the borough. Does this mean that the rich will survive and the poor will die? Pearl before swine the saying goes.....
Just an observation
This is so I do not panic. Sister in law is deputy head of the School That Kicked Me Out, a girl's boarding school. A Mexican student returned after the Easter holiday and was monitored for a week. I asked sister in law what would have happened had she contracted the illness. She replied that the girl would have been placed in isolation and the rest of the school administered Tamiflu.
Now 70% of the population will not get Tamiflu should there be a pandemic. I don't imagine that should a child get swine flu in my son's community school, the drug will be administered to all 400 plus pupils; there are so many such schools in the borough. Does this mean that the rich will survive and the poor will die? Pearl before swine the saying goes.....
Just an observation
Friday, 1 May 2009
Speedy responses
Director of needs and access has emailed me back! I shouldn't be surprised but I'm still awaiting response from the letter I sent in March, by snail mail.
She said she had responded to my snail mail letter and attached it. However, this is the letter, sent in response to my enquiries in January, which prompted my March letter.
So I've attached my March letter in this response
She said she was pleased that I'd found a property to bid for and that she wished me every success. Given that yesterday I was already 68th on the list it needs a little more than wishing and hoping to meet with success.
She said she'd forwarded my email to my HHSS worker so I asked her to forward my email to the exceptions panel instead as HHSS workers won't do anything because they can't do anything.
I reiterated that my bike was a 'need' and although it's been years that I viewed a flat, that to turn one down on account of the bicycle is very painful.
"Flats are withdrawn and directly offered, people are housed with fewer points, there is a whole world behind what I see on the homeconnections site." You can help us, director of needs and access.....
I also said I was hoping for a miracle...
Well... miracles are happening for some people on that fecking list...
I'll keep ye posted
She said she had responded to my snail mail letter and attached it. However, this is the letter, sent in response to my enquiries in January, which prompted my March letter.
So I've attached my March letter in this response
She said she was pleased that I'd found a property to bid for and that she wished me every success. Given that yesterday I was already 68th on the list it needs a little more than wishing and hoping to meet with success.
She said she'd forwarded my email to my HHSS worker so I asked her to forward my email to the exceptions panel instead as HHSS workers won't do anything because they can't do anything.
I reiterated that my bike was a 'need' and although it's been years that I viewed a flat, that to turn one down on account of the bicycle is very painful.
"Flats are withdrawn and directly offered, people are housed with fewer points, there is a whole world behind what I see on the homeconnections site." You can help us, director of needs and access.....
I also said I was hoping for a miracle...
Well... miracles are happening for some people on that fecking list...
I'll keep ye posted
When negative is positive
I am clean!
They actually called me last Friday, the walk in clinic where I had my 'full screening'.
Over the phone she said I'd tested negative.
Gonorreah, chlamydia, syphillis and the scary one, Aids!
Negative, negative, negative, NEGATIVE!!
The relief!
I am clean!
I tested positive for thrush but I knew that when I went in.
They actually called me last Friday, the walk in clinic where I had my 'full screening'.
Over the phone she said I'd tested negative.
Gonorreah, chlamydia, syphillis and the scary one, Aids!
Negative, negative, negative, NEGATIVE!!
The relief!
I am clean!
I tested positive for thrush but I knew that when I went in.
Oral Hygiene
I went to the dentist this morning. When I got my little childtax credits windfall I made myself book an appointment with a hygienist. It's not cheap at £50 a go but I don't want my teeth to fall out. I had a regular check up appointment too but that was free because I'm on income support. Lucky lucky me because that doesn't come cheap for the rest of the country.
Does anyone else worry about the state of the nation's teeth? There was a time when not only was a checkup free for all but so was a good old clean of them gnashers and gums. Given Up Smoking mum in the playground (I'll find a name for her soon) hasn't been to a dentist for decades. She's too scared she says, but she's also a low income mamma and well, teeth aren't much of a priority for many of us. We don't put £2 aside every week until we've got enough to get them seen to. One of those things I suppose...
I first went to a hygienist two years ago after I'd given up smoking. It had been years and the pain was justified in my mind by the amount of blood I had to rinse out.
It's less painful now, and there's less blood, which is good.
I haven't had a cigarette yet either. This may have something to do with the scraping and prodding with a soft brush of my receding gums. It may also have to do with the article I read in the British Dental Journal (dec 2007) while I was waiting.
In America they have found links between oral cancer and ethnicity.
African Americans and Caucasian's are most at risk of oral cancer, mostly tongue cancer. Smoking is attributed to this.
In Asia, Koreans are most at risk of tongue cancer, again, smoking is highlighted as cause.
Some South East Asian countries are at risk of inner cheek cancer, from chewing tobacco or areca nut.
But Filipini women are most at risk of cancer of the palate. This, says the report, is attributed to the practice of reverse smoking, "when the lit part of the cigarette is concealed in the mouth."
Cancer of the palate? Cancer of the inner cheek? I don't know where I've been all my life but I always thought throat cancer and cancer of the tongue for us smokers. But hell, why should an oral cancer limit itself to those?
I will give up smoking. I will, I will. Soon
Does anyone else worry about the state of the nation's teeth? There was a time when not only was a checkup free for all but so was a good old clean of them gnashers and gums. Given Up Smoking mum in the playground (I'll find a name for her soon) hasn't been to a dentist for decades. She's too scared she says, but she's also a low income mamma and well, teeth aren't much of a priority for many of us. We don't put £2 aside every week until we've got enough to get them seen to. One of those things I suppose...
I first went to a hygienist two years ago after I'd given up smoking. It had been years and the pain was justified in my mind by the amount of blood I had to rinse out.
It's less painful now, and there's less blood, which is good.
I haven't had a cigarette yet either. This may have something to do with the scraping and prodding with a soft brush of my receding gums. It may also have to do with the article I read in the British Dental Journal (dec 2007) while I was waiting.
In America they have found links between oral cancer and ethnicity.
African Americans and Caucasian's are most at risk of oral cancer, mostly tongue cancer. Smoking is attributed to this.
In Asia, Koreans are most at risk of tongue cancer, again, smoking is highlighted as cause.
Some South East Asian countries are at risk of inner cheek cancer, from chewing tobacco or areca nut.
But Filipini women are most at risk of cancer of the palate. This, says the report, is attributed to the practice of reverse smoking, "when the lit part of the cigarette is concealed in the mouth."
Cancer of the palate? Cancer of the inner cheek? I don't know where I've been all my life but I always thought throat cancer and cancer of the tongue for us smokers. But hell, why should an oral cancer limit itself to those?
I will give up smoking. I will, I will. Soon
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