AllThingsAnglophile

Policy Work: A Story

2016-04-14T12:39:45Z

If anyone is still on here, reading LiveJournal, I want to tell you a story. It goes like this:

Once upon a time, enormous government reforms rolled out to effect all aspects of social care. Service providers were terrified, large providers ate up the little providers, peaks fought against each other as funding got tighter and tighter and Government departments tried their best to implement half baked reform concepts while minister's remained tight lipped on future reform decisions.

I want you to meet Misha. Misha is married to an Aboriginal man. Misha has three children. Misha is smart. Misa is small and thin with two earrings in each ear and half her hair shaved off on one side. Misha manages a team at an aged care peak. Misha talks strategy with 'the feds' So, we are told to think, Misha has gotten her life right.

But Misha also has deep wrinkles across her face. (She is only 51.) But Misha never spends time at home. (She loves her family.) But Misha is afraid of her own team to the point of paranoia because many of them are experienced and smart. (Misha you are experienced and smart, and you can still learn from others).

But Misha twists truths and her philosophy on reform chameleon like to suit whom she speaks to (does Misha remember what it is she fights for anymore?) But Misha holds on to her fed contacts like a miser to his purse (but does Misha know who she promised to represent?) But Misha is so afraid of losing power that she feels sick to the stomach when one of her subordinates knows something she doesn't (does Misha care that she thinks managing is synonymous with running a team of controlled automatons?) But Misha has left behind a trail of broken relationships; angry providers and peaks and sector support workers (it's never her fault, but theirs) But Misha says, 'we tried years ago to engage other stakeholders, and they wouldn't play, so we screw them over' (the same stakeholders who call and email me off the record. One being the CEO of a competitor peak).

But Misha thinks she knows it all (that's why she thinks she understands me when I tell her, it's not you, it's me, and I have to go away).

But Misha thinks I am making a big mistake. I rejected her team, after all (that's why she uses her false sugar-sweet high pitch on me).

But Misha thinks I care about her so much (no, but I care about the providers I swore to help when my old peak was tricked into giving our government contracts to you. I stayed for them, not for you).

But Misha thinks, 'Maureen understands this Game of Thrones we all play. She is like me and I can respect her.' (Yes, I understand it, but I will take no more part in it because playing with people's lives is not a game).

Misha smiles at me and her smile is false. Misha says kind words to me and her words are false.

I have worked in policy and sector support in disability and aged care for two years. I was on good pay. I walked the corridors of power, however briefly. I helped to change national policy. I helped to save providers about to go under. I threw providers lifelines. I learnt to lead and to speak with authority and confidence. I learnt about engagement, about what works. I learnt about strategy and about Boards. I learnt about the intricacies of political feuds and backdoor deals. I learnt that John Le Carre wasn't lying in his books when he spoke hard truths about government and about bureaucracy.

I felt myself growing to like my power, and I grew afraid. I saw parts of myself in Misha. Ugly, ugly parts, and I was afraid.

I can't take the falseness and the double dealings and the back stabbings and the power hungry games and the whispers, whispers in politicians ears any longer. Not without becoming part of the game.

So I quit the job I started December last year. I go full time at my dream job in disability doing front line work with people with disability again from May. I go to a provider who has a vision, and believes in that vision with all of its small heart and soul.

I go to stop myself becoming a second generation Misha. I go because I promised myself, in my first God awful disability NFP job, that I will never stop telling them Albertine. That I will tell them of my metaphorical Rwanda. Always.

And one day I will write about Misha and about Petyr Baelish and about State of Play in Australian social care reform, and what I write will be angry and bitter and sad because such a story will always be marked by a sense of moral wrongness. Such futility. Such waste. So much of people's very real ideals played upon to feed others personal agendas.

So I make this promise to you and to the world: I will never rest till I have told them of what I have seen and where I have been. I will never rest until I have told the world of Albertine.

Not now that I have seen I am responsible.

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Missed Me? Post Death in Heaven Fic

2014-11-20T20:00:52Z

Whoops. I did write eleventh hour fic as I promised squint13 When I get back I will consider taking Missy fic requests because she is enormously fun to write for and because back in the day all I did was write Master/Lucy/Doctor fic.

Title: Missed Me?
Characters: Missy, Osgood, 12th Doctor, Clara (Ps: Love ff.net deigning to allow multiple character categories now. Much easier)
Genre: Drama/Horror
Spoilers: For Death in Heaven
Word Count: 2100 words approx.
Notes: This is a oneshot character study more than anything else. I hope someone enjoys it...

( Missed me missed me now you've got to kiss me )

OK, I admit that I kind of scared myself with how messed up this one is...

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Spooks Rewatch s1

2014-07-02T12:31:00Z

Whelp. We're getting started this month nightbulbs, novindalf, twcardiff and everyone else keen to go back to the start when cats and hairdryers and Malcolm and Zoe were a thing... sorta.

That's right. July is the month of Tom, Danny and Zoe, the deep fat fryer, hard nosed Tessa and Harry being a great character. Let's go... Spooks s1 in July starts NOW!

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Doctor Who s4 Rewatch

2014-06-05T12:48:50Z

So I watched two more...

( midnight )

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Foyle's War s8

2014-05-29T21:48:44Z

I had a bit of a day at work yesterday so what better way to relax than with episodes of Foyle's War? Now I know that some didn't like the transition to The Cold War and the move from straight out policeman to MI5 operative, but I find it really interesting. It's like an early Spooks/Foyle cross-over with loads of research. I actually even liked Sam's new husband, Adam, and his story of being an early post war Labor MP and the pressures that put on Sam (also though I like Max Brown, he never worked with Weeks for me). I like that the whole proceedings are gloomy looking and cynical and world weary. It feels realistic after the pomp of V Day.

I watched Sunflower. It was the best of the three by far, perhaps even one of the best episodes ever of Foyle's War and that ending!

Thoughts?

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Where All The Lost Spooks Go fic Chp. 3

2014-05-23T13:18:55Z

Title: Where All The Lost Spooks Go
Fandom: Spooks
Characters: Ruth/Tom/Zoe, set just after 5.5
Word Count: 2100 words approx.
Rating: PG
Notes: Chapter Three- Ruth finds herself in Santiago with Tom to meet some more old faces.
Previous Chapters

By Plane or by Sea

Oh Captain, I will Follow

( Persephone Rising )

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Poetry and Prose: Some Drabbles

2014-04-27T12:22:53Z

So basically I nabbed thisbluespirit meme and adapted it because I don't have five fandoms. I used the website she provided to get 5 poems, and used the fifth line of each poem to write a 50 word Spooks drabble.

( that which moves )

Well that was fun. Comments are love as always.

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Where All The Lost Spooks Go fic

2014-04-25T23:20:13Z

Title: Where All The Lost Spooks Go
Fandom: Spooks
Characters: Ruth/Tom, set just after 5.5
Word Count: 2155 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Chapter Two- Ruth takes on the second stage of her AU post 5.5 journey

( Oh Captain, I Will Follow )

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Where All The Lost Spooks Go fic

2014-04-18T22:43:31Z

Title: Where All The Lost Spooks Go
Fandom: Spooks
Characters: Ruth/Harry, set just after 5.5
Word Count: 2100 words
Rating: PG
Notes: So I wanted to write an AU fic where all of the best Spooks met up. I thought this would be light hearted but I forgot about what writing Ruth is like. I never thought I'd write for this fandom again AND NOW I AM WRITING A MULTI PART FIC. WHAT EVEN, WORLD? Oh, how I've missed this!

Part 1/Chapter 1

( By Plane or by Sea )

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Why I won't be Seeing Karen and the Babes Down Under (A Rant)

2014-01-20T11:22:08Z

Karen and the Babes were announced last year as coming to capitals in Australia including Sydney. My friends and I were ecstatic and we all planned to make a day of it. I claimed I would sell my right arm to go. It turns out, I lied. Of course, we shouldn't have trusted The Hub. It seems to have quite a bad reputation within fandom for not really giving a fuck about fandom and just milking collectors for as much money as they can get away with. Now I'm not saying that The Hub's Whoniverse is the first con to rort fans, but it is the first one to annoy me quite this much.

( outraged dweomer is outraged )

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The Hilary Mantel and Royal family furore

2013-03-14T01:26:55Z

Has anyone else heard about Booker prize winner, Hilary Mantel's, controversial speech on Royal Bodies, presented for the London Review of Books? I saw it yesterday in my twitter feed and clicked on it out of interest. As someone coming to it as a cultural historian, as a writer and as someone who comes from a country that has little love left for the British monarchy, it is one of the most interesting and complex speeches I have read in an age; criticising the symbiotic relationship between royals, a country's people and the media. Mantel calls attention to the myth that a royal title evokes, the role that must be performed in accordance with that myth and the ways that the media especially, simaltaenously depersonalise and exult the royal body as an object, not as a person. Coming at it from a feminist bent, she examines the ways that women, particularly queen's, have been valued in the royal myth, with a small section discussing Princess Diana and Princess Catherine (Kate Middleton). Mantel dares to question the UK's image of Royal woman, asking why it is in an era of so called feminist success, that we value Kate only for her body- her youth, her beauty and her child bearing ability? Not only does she question our ideals of womanhood, she also (rather subtly it must be said) questions the entire institution of British royalty.

The link is here:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodies

( What's the fuss/tell me what's a-happening? )

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Doctor Who Rewatch

2013-01-28T06:09:15Z

I am re-watching Doctor Who New Who series 1-7 and generally love festing and reminiscing. Please join me! Though I prefer Moffat era Who, I want to do my best to find things to love about all of New Who as frankly, I am tired of the endless negativity. If I genuinely detest an episode, I will use my license to mock and try to be good natured about my dislike. Please comment if you like with this philosophy in mind :)

Rose by RTD

( Rose )

The End of the World by RTD

( The End of the World )

The Unquiet Dead by Mark Gatiss

( The Unquiet Dead )

I have not rewatched the RTD era since The End of Time aired because of how much I hated it. It is great fun to rewatch when I can't remember half the episodes :)

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Never the Princess Now (A Spooks fic)

2013-01-13T04:06:27Z

Title: Never the Princess Now
Fandom: Spooks
Characters/Pairing: Ruth/Harry. Elena.
Word Count: 1500 words approx
Rating: PG
Spoilers: AU oneshot fic for up to 10.5 of spooks
Notes: I felt like writing something because I hadn't written any fic in almost a year. This wip had been in my mind for an age and I'd even written part of it already. In reality, I never believed that Harry and Ruth should be together. Both characters changed too much and not necessarily for the better. This oneshot uses the tragedy of the Gavriks to highlight the tragedy of Ruth and Harry. Elena never worked for me in 10.6. She became too much. I liked her better when she was ambiguous, hurting and screwed over by Harry. This story is that Elena. Enjoy.

( By the way I tried to say I'd be here, waiting for you )

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The Stories that Matter fic

2013-01-02T02:08:32Z

Title: The Stories That Matter
Chapter One: You Said Five Minutes
Chapter Two: "Nobody was Crying"
Fandom: Spooks/Doctor Who crossover
Characters: Ruth Evershed/Eleventh Doctor
Summary: Will Ruth leave spying and run with The Doctor or will she choose to stay with Harry?
Word Count: 690 words
Spoilers: 3.5 of Spooks and up to The God Complex of Doctor Who
Rating: G
Notes: This story was started months ago last year but I didn't have the heart to write spooks fic after s10. Unfortunately, I am a completist and knew this story still has three more parts to go. Here is the second part. Finally.

( I couldn't read her face )

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Doctor Who Christmas Special and Les Miserables

2012-12-27T14:01:37Z

Well. One out of two ain't bad.

( The Snowmen )

Les Miserables Film

( 24601 )

After the disappointments of Burton's Alice in Wonderland (the most un-Burton film ever?) and Dark Shadows (Burton's crassest film ever?) I was beginning to think I had lost the Burton love. Reviews for Frankenweenie have started coming in and the general consensus is that he is back on form. What a relief. I was getting worried! Watching Les Miserables has reminded me that I'm almost due for a Burton filmography rewatch. He has directed some of the most haunting and beautiful films I have ever seen. It is a shame that he is so maligned these days.

As usual, opinions are welcomed flist!

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A Town Called Mercy and The Power of Three Review

2012-10-05T11:39:41Z

Wow. Again life runs away from me and my review is written at the eleventh hour! My thesis is due in three weeks and I have yet to start a 5000 word essay due in 4 weeks. Excuses? I haz them in good measure!

Anyways, I am meant to be writing more of my 5000 word essay right now so a reaction list will have to suffice for these two episodes. I am sure tomorrow night's episode will merit excessive meta!

( all the feelings )

No spoilers for The Angels Take Manhatten or you will die. K Thanks.

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Almost Here: Final Chapter

2012-04-08T23:36:10Z

The last chapter of Almost Here so moth2fic you can read the whole thing now :)

Title: Almost Here
Genre: Crossover fic (Harry Potter and Spooks)
Characters: Dumbledore, Ruth Evershed and Danny Hunter
Word Count: 1300 words approx.
Summary: The final test...

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three

( Children, lift up your voice, lift up your voice )

Well. Weirdest fic I've ever written but so worth it...

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Inside Men First Impressions

2012-02-29T10:54:38Z

So I finally watched episode one. I should probably make a thread in the nicola_walker comm seeings as it is well and truly done and dusted in the UK.

Anyway, I found the episode relatively intriguing plot wise, but I hated every single main character. Every. Last. One. And it was also pretty damn depressing. Probably not my cup of tea to be honest but I'll watch to the end BECAUSE ZOMG THAT ACTRESS I LIKE (the story of my life- watching programs I don't like for actors I love)

Also, lol at the returned stereotype of Nicola's character in a bad/unfufilling relationship stuck in a world of social and emotional dislocation. How predictable ;)

The most important thing however, is Nicola getting costume changes you guys. MANY. Tv is full of surprises. Random stripey jumper/top thingy was love. I wants one.

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WordPress Book Review: The Obernewtyn Chronicles

2012-02-20T02:34:44Z

I'm BACK. And here is my next book review for my fantasy word press blog. Enjoy!

Obernewtyn

Later I will post some pics of my River Song cosplay for the Mebourne Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. It was AMAZING.

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Lucy M Montgomery (Does anyone still read her?)

2012-01-11T02:51:10Z

Anne of Green Gables and the six sequels are books I always come back to every couple of years (I don't count the short story collections as part of the sequence). I think that for the most part, though Lucy's descriptions got laid on rather thick (in a rather ironic parallel to Emily in Emily of New Moon) and she would have benefited from a stronger editor, the minutae of her characters day to day lives and the gentle satire of gentile society render them still interesting today.

Ironically, aside from the classic Anne of Green Gables and the Emily trilogy which saw Lucy look at her society in a much more frank and dark fashion, I have a sneaking suspicion that it is Anne's youngest daughter's story in Rilla of Ingleside, as a devestating look at life on the Canadian Home Front, that holds the most relevence today and perhaps is the one that aside from AOG has truly stood the test of time. It is possibly the one with the most historic value and also the one that most demonstates the shifting place of women in society in this time period.

Imagine my shock upon finding out there is a ninth Anne related book! Entitled The Blythe's are Quoted, the book is a collection of short stories (previously published but edited out extensively), poems attributed to both Anne and her dreamy son Walter who was killed at the Western Front, and vignettes which offer commentary on the poems themselves and the events of the Blythe extended family. The book is divided between the events prior to 1914 and the war itself and it's aftermath, ending in 1936 with the declaration of the Second World War.

I have to say that I always feel a bit depressed upon finishing Rilla of Ingleside. Written only a few years after WW1 ended, Lucy had optimism for a war free future. Little did she know that within her generation, a new war, even worse in many ways than the first one, was about to be declared. Rilla and her family would face war again. Some of the characters would have to fight twice. Apparently, TBAQ is a more cynical look at war, written in 1942 just before Lucy died, and shows her own despair at the horrors of two world wars.

The book is incredibly expensive to buy at the moment so I suppose I will hold off for now, but I think I will enjoy this collection immensely, especially as I have always wondered about Walter's poem The Piper, included in the collection. However, at the same time, Lucy despised free verse and rigidly stuck to rhyming patterning. I wonder if her poetry will suffer because of this? Can one really describe the horrors of war when constrained to rhyming couplets where one is forced to make meaning based on what rhymes rather than what best describes the situation? I hope so.

Has anyone read Lucy M Montgomery and her poetry? What did you think of her?

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Favourite Doctor Who Quotes

2012-01-02T11:17:34Z

I have been rewatching series six of Doctor Who of late and forgot how many amazing quotes there are in this show. So tell me flist- what are your favourite quotes? Any era, new or old, RTD or Moffat etc is welcome.

Some of mine under cut:

( Read more... )

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The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe: Doctor Who review

2011-12-27T23:59:25Z

My feelings on this are pretty basic: Yes, it was pretty bad as a Who episode, but when have the Christmas specials ever been remotely good? And anything after The End of Time seems comparatively good.

( why do you have to be so human? )

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