Why do landlords avoid renting to tenants on housing benefits if the rent is guaranteed to be paid? What are they worried about?

Crime. You’re on benefits for a reason. There may be something wrong with you. You’ve got no other income coming in. This means that if damages arise, you probably don’t have any means to pay for a repair which can escalate to other damages. Or you might engage in criminal activity to generate income but these crimes are happening on the premises. If you get arrested, how is the landlord going to get paid? You could also sell off your landlord’s appliances and disappear. Although he could claim this through insurance; it’s going to be a hassle to replace these and it could delay getting other tenants in. They’re also looking for someone long-term that they can rely on for investments rather than having to constantly seek out new tenants every time something changes. They want you to care about the property and not let a mountain of problems build up before they can’t be fixed.

The Lookout #habberley 42

Are we looking overboard for fish here? That would be very impressive as ‘re in the middle of the countryside. It could be a river or stream and the photographer could be on the other side of it. We could be on a bridge. But this is a bridge that tilts. Maybe we’re waiting for a little one to come aboard; perhaps someone who’s not too keen on playing with the big kids and is afraid that we might be rough. But we’re encouraging them to come on and join us regardless and we’ll go at their pace. We don’t want to be monsters despite our size; but we’ll encourage them to be adventurous and we’ll slowly build up their confidence. We’ll pretend that we’re on a boat and we’re afraid of the little mouse that’s just come on board. Then we’ll try to catch the mouse and we’ll chase it to the other end.

Sing a Rock Song

I’m a bit worried that this will end up like karaoke. There’s thousands of rock songs to choose from and it’s probably going to me a different one every time. There’s probably not going to be a single musical instrument and then I’ll have to try and identify it. It’ll be even more annoying if she hums. The first time I ask, a rap is produced about the tasks that she can do, complete with backing drums. The second one has a few guitar chords, but I did ask it to sing me a rock song. Maybe my definition of rock is different to everyone else’s. But this one’s full of puns as it includes tectonic plates and Geology as well. I try again and I get a third rap about Math which is a bit shorter than the others. My last attempt just gives me stone silence. Maybe she’s had enough.

Trust Fall #habberley 41

I’d be a bit worried if she was attempting a trust fall. It’s not the comfiest of surfaces to land on. The person behind needs to get into position quickly and she’s not the biggest of people to stop the fall. It’s almost an uneven surface so she might knock her target over before she gets to her. But the faith has already been put into place. Hopefully a witness can tell her to abort the mission before it’s too late. Let’s hope that she’s up to something a lot less alarming. Perhaps someone is coming back towards her from the other side of the bridge as a prank to force her back into the water. It could be a threat of the tickles. Or maybe she’s just trying to keep her balance while someone else is jumping up and down. Maybe she’s backing up deliberately to stop her sister from crossing the bridge at full speed. 

Cornwall QI #dreamdiary 227

Me and my Uncle have come down for a look around Port Issac. Cornwall has been invaded by an influx of hipsters lately in that people are posting graffiti around the villages with QR codes which takes people to harmful or malicious websites when they scan it with a mobile phone. As we park in the village, a purple double-decker bus drives past which wouldn’t be out of place in a scene from Harry Potter. The driver gets out and warns us of the dangers of taking photos of the images as smartphones are quick to detect the link held within, and unsuspecting people believe that they’ve found a secret hidden ‘Easter Egg’ which takes them to a website to find out more about the artist. Fortunately, I’ve got common sense, but a lot of people have been swindled. I leave my Uncle there and head to the Welsh border for a swim.

The Drunken Sailor

From the outside, you can see that they’ve put a lot of effort into the place. Its building is sheltered enough to be away from bad weather but close enough to the centre, local hotels and main routes to be noticed. Its roof is built to look like the outside of a ship. You might think that that’s a balcony overlooking the stage but that room is reserved for something else. There’s a few outside tables for street seating and inside there’s high stools with burning coal tables and large heaters. Then there’s a main bar inside with a central stage and seating to the side with a pool table to keep the locals happy. Drinks are reasonable; the cocktails are a bit dear but you get strong measures with all the trimmings. The wait staff aren’t keen to keep tabs; maybe because they don’t keep track of people when the show starts. They pride on getting the numbers in.

Booting Up #habberley 40

 Here comes the mystery man. We know not what he looks like (well, we do if we look at the previous photos). It’s a pull-away snap. It’s one of those that you don’t aim to take but you do it anyway. Maybe you’re startled as your finger hovers over the button. Something’s happened that you haven’t anticipated. Or maybe you haven’t quite got the shot lined up correctly. You’ve been focused on what’s happening in front of you rather than what’s on the screen. Or it might be your posture when you’re filming. There might be a more technical term for that. Something’s happened that’s forced you to change your position. Or your whole devotion could be to the boot that’s in front of you. The next one could be a close-up of the laces. It’s to demonstrate their grip and reliability when in action. It’s a shame that there’s no balance pose and that the model is holding onto the chains for his dear life.