Hello everyone,

General:
As you will realise the computer did appear! But we had the pleasure of finding, as we unpacked, that several boxes of rubbish had also travelled with us! Many runs to the recycling centre later…

I had some sad news via Olaf. Elaine, a member in our first season, has died suddenly. Olaf had a mail from her son. No other info but those involved in season one may be saddened by the news, as I was.

And, before I go any further, welcome to Julie. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.

As a follow on from that, Sally’s sent out a request for a few more pen-portraits or mug-shots on our site. If you could send these to her, please… Sally’s another person to have suffered from net/modem/connection problems so the update to the site has been delayed. But thanks for what you have been able to do so far, Sally.

Group story:
I’m starting to put my mind to this season’s group story. I’d like to kick it off in the new year. So, if you’re interested in taking part, send me a mail and I’ll add you to the list. Also, I know one or two of you have spring hols in mind. If you want to take part, could you let me know the dates you won’t be available. Of course, everyone might say ‘no thank you’! (Subject strip – ‘group story’)

And in the real world...:
I’ve always thought the 100 word challenge a bit of an academic exercise – but none the less challenging for that. Find 96 words to hide the four you’ve been given and still make some sense… No sooner had I wizzed my unimaginative entry off to Rosemary than I had a request to write a 150 word synopsis of an 80000 word novel. Thank you Rosemary, my mind was in minimalist mode, so it wasn’t as difficult as it might have been.

Then there’s chairs. I came across an item about research into ‘Chair Load Analysis During Daily Sitting Activities’ (Guardian 28-10-08). Sitting is not, so I read, a ‘static’ activity. The research looked at the risks your furniture faces when someone sits on it. It also explained that about 75% of our body weight is supported by only four square inches of “ischial tuberosities and their surrounding soft tissues”. I think I’ll stand…

Poems:
Before he left us, Patrick and I had some interesting correspondence about poetry. I’ve also had a mail from Chris about Haiku. (Someone enlighten me. What is the plural? Haikus? Haikae? Haiki? Haikues?) Anyway. I’m looking at how I introduce poetry into the programme.

Patrick wanted there to be something like a poetry day each month – which totally mucks up our three week cycle! But I wonder whether people would like to submit a poem they’ve read and liked; or a poem they’ve written, each alphaday (subject strip ‘poem’). Initially no pressure to do so – but if there’s no response then I might have to find the whip, along with the tea-cosy Zena’s nicked!

Challenges:
Tara should be sending out challenge three, Rosemary the aggregated two for voting and Zena the results from one. I’ll do a bit of work with my abacus and update folks next time. But well done to all who’ve contributed to the challenges; and continued thanks to the people organising the challenges.

Now, there’s been some correspondence about judging. About writing things that may offend. About things that push the boundaries. As someone who likes to understand ‘the rules’ and also someone always after ways to push the boundaries; I’ve welcomed Chris’s comments and the continuing responses. I’m going to let them continue a while. I think, as we look at the challenges and the criteria and how people interpret the criteria, that we may have to come back to Chris’s mail and the subsequent comments and then (oh dear) I might have to express an opinion or make a decision. (woe is me)

Thus far, my comment, over and above my immediate response, is that any change to the way we do things (however subtle) will take a while to settle and become a working ‘rule’. Zena was bothered about whether she should have commented about all the entries satisfying the criteria of ‘monologue’; to which I replied that I thought they did although one pushed the boundary. Should that one have been ‘banned’? Certainly not (in my opinion). But I know the general discussion will (and must) continue.

Finally...:
I had a mail that asked about south west France and was it lovely and autumnal. It made me think about how rapid and dramatic the changes are between October 1st and November 1st here. At the start of the month, deciduous trees are green – summery, even. And now as we approach November they are bald! The last of the maize has been cropped, apples too, and the vines are stripped. I’m even wearing socks!

But considering the fact that we are spread from 95W to 175E and 55N to 45S [!] you’d expect our Octobers to be very different. Not a challenge but a bonus point to any that care to put a couple of hundred words together to describe their October. Of course, the weather and leaf colour might not feature! (subject strip ‘October’)

Best wishes all

- David