Wellington - yeeeeahhh!

Reclaim the Night

Yesterday Sporty, Pipi and I were part of the Reclaim the Night march; we really only reclaimed the early evening but still, it felt good to be part of something important. We chanted and carried placards and banners and we took up a lot of space on the streets.

The speakers were great – my favourite line was from a member of the Women’s Refuge Collective. She said:

Rape is not an act of lust in the same way that family violence is not an act of love.

Right on! A woman is not raped because she is just so Hot! Hot! Hot! that the rapist can’t resist her…

Taxation

I'm just listening to National Radio interview with a guy about the planned new tax plans - Land tax, will be like a new rate at .5% or a new tax on rental properties - tax on equity and a flat top tax rate at 30% and possibly an increase in GST. WTF!!!!!!
The guy is killing me he just sounds so reasonable. Language is such a dangerous thing. It's a matter of balancing the concerns of efficiency and equity. WTF!!!! What do you think he's earning? Nothing about improving the lives of our poorest. Nothing about taxing the bads. It's all about keeping the tax take stable while reducing how much the rich pay.
Social and behavioural and environmental taxes aren't worth considering because you then have to spend them on fixing the problems. Scoped out.
There will be a public meeting at Vic tomorrow for people to have their say. I'm on a course in town but I want to go.
Rant over.

Thanks you lot

You're the bomb.

MILF!

Phhhhheeeeeewwwww!

Just a quick blog to say:

I've done it!!!

(This is my happy face - check out the size of that script!!)

I'm off to Wellington to hand in my script, fingers crossed eh? Be great to get the chance to get it in front of a Producer but if it doesn't happen yet I just keep on writing....

Thanks so much to all you lovelies for your support, aroha and feedback over the past two years - I have the coolest bunch of friends in the world.

Chur!

xx

The final word-2

hating the system

If I'd posted yesterday like I was going to it would have been all about the experience of being in the recording studio and having an awesome bunch of actors bring my characters to life. I may write that blog in the next few days but right now I'm at home alone while you lot are at a party (by choice - no dramas there) and I just got some very frustrating news I feel I need to vent so... apolgies in advance that there are no pretty pictures or videos to watch and that this is not a particularly upbeat post!

WHAT THE F*^K IS UP WITH THE SYSTEM MEANT TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY'S MOST VULNERABLE?!?!

You all know about a certain 12 year old we had the pleasure of caring for earlier this year, and it really was a pleasure. If was fantastic to see this unsure kid incapable of vocalising her thoughts or feelings grow into this vibrant young thing prepared to take US on in a debate (was she dreaming?!?!) Anyway, during her time here we tried to give her the time and space to be herself, and be safe, and the groth in her was a special thing to experience.

Now the rules say that once she leaves that's it, we have no right to contact, get information or anything. Hard to swallow but ok, I understand the family need rights and that in some cases this is possibly a good thing (though it doesn't, IMHO, do much to help kids to understand there are different kinds of relationships and that there is someone outside of the family who is there and cares about them). We have, with a little hardship and a lot of wondering at times, obeyed those rules.

Tonight I've been chatting with said 12 year old on a social networking site, and it was fantastic to catch up. She approached me to be a friend, I thought long and hard about it, and agreed. So, the chat was about all sorts of things and it was good to hear from her, except for now I know what I had formerly only wondered at, and in this case ignorance was bliss.

It seems that in six weeks this great kid, and her 10 year half sister, will return to the home of a man who has been judged by a psycologist IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS to be unsafe. We had a discussion with the psychologist some months ago and were told what her recommendations would be for the judge on th case. Clearly that judge completely ignored the report THEY requested in the first place and has done what CYPS are so bloody minded about and sent the kids back to 'the family'.

I get it, I know why the focus is there and all that, but I can pretty much guarantee that this family will not be closely supervised, that there will be little or no support, and that there are two kids who will be shit scared of making any disclosures because over the past three years the systems incompetence and family's messiness have served to make them feel responsible for the nastiness in their worlds. The mother is in a controlling relationship with degrees of abuse and those kids are going back into that situation.

I don't know whether I'm more inclined to anger or tears (maybe both). I do know that the 12 yr old has asked me not to tell her family I've spoken to her and I really don't want to risk that I might be someone she can come to if she needs to. BUT everything in me is screaming to challenge this ruling and the situation bureaucrats have put these two young people in.

Honestly, I don't know what to do.

Poetry

Yellow rage. Respect.

And another cause theyre so awesome

 And here's a glimmer of hope for my feminist utopia, cause it does (contrary to popular belief) include men. 

Sydney Mardi Gras Party

This is an interesting link don't you think? Pink flight to Sydney next year with entertainment... a special "themed" flight, and not too expensive. Group outing? PS, click on the title of this blog to go to the site...

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Is anyone else pissed off

that there haven't been any updates to Queer Eye Candy in four weeks?

I feel ripped off. Whose photo shall we send in?