[blogfocus thursday] women's day

Is there anything this lady can't bake?

Afraid I'm going to stick with the women this evening, as they've been on the mind these 21 hours:

1 The dangerous* Welshcakes allows us behind the scenes in the piece-de-resistance preparation:

I've mentioned previously that lamb is difficult to obtain here, except at Easter or from the frozen food centre. Well, last week I asked one of the nearby butchers to ring me if and when any came in and, as I was passing the shop yesterday, he rushed out and cried, "Signora! Signora! C'è dell'agnello!" ["There's lamb!"] If I had been a car, I would have screeched to a halt. So in I went and got some chops, some pieces and, for the first time since I've been here, some minced lamb. [I have frozen it all in small quantities.]

* Dangerous to the tastebuds and eyes, that is.

2 jmb shares some words of wisdom from another generation:

The first, she said, was to always apologize to anyone with whom you had a falling out or a misunderstanding. Even if you feel the other person is in the wrong or that you do not believe you have done or said anything wrong, but there is tension between you, don't let it stand, but be the first to apologize. Not necessarily to say "I'm sorry I was wrong " but do at least say "I'm sorry I've upset you." Or something similar.

Well yes, this has always been my philosophy and I've practised it faithfully, as necessary. I think that all would agree that this is a positive lesson to have passed along. So I was pleased with that one.

The second thing, she said, was that every time you get an opportunity to give input or feedback you should do so.

3 Ellee Seymour takes up the torch for Mordecai Vanunu in the case against Israel:

He now faces a further prison sentence for violating the terms of his release by talking to the media. Since his release Vanunu has tirelessly campaigned for the Jewish state to be disarmed while denying Israeli officials’ charges that he has more secrets that he could divulge if allowed to emigrate.

Vanunu has become a symbol for the international peace movement and activists will continue to highlight his plight. Almost 1,000 signatures were collected during a recent bike ride from Scotland to London and presented to Downing Street, urging Tony Blair to use his influence.

4 Heather takes us back to the 60s and the fabulous Jensen Interceptor:

I saw a picture of the late 1960s Jensen Interceptor Director model - which featured an typewriter perched on a wooden board so that the executive could drive whilst his glamorous secretary “took a letter” from the passenger seat.

This gives a glimpse into public relations in that era - the 3-day photoshoot around the Cotswolds, lots of young female “assistants” in short skirts, relaxing outside local hostelries, village fuel pumps, men in suits (chief engineer Kevin Beattie sporting a cravat) with celebrities and racing drivers of the time.

5 Liz writes of the curse of the aspiring writer - the rejection:

But we're off on holiday tomorrow to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands for a week. A bit of relaxing, lots of reading and an opportunity for this cold, which has come back with a vengeance since the weekend, to finally clear up, and I'll be returning full of life and vitality, and plans for my future writing. I think having two years or more of almost invariable rejections has knocked me back more than I would like to admit. I've gone from having confidence in my writing to expecting rejection. So along with my frothy novels, I'm going to pack some writing magazines (which have sat unread on my desk for months) and a notebook.

6 Bel mentions the U.S. plan to restrict Pakistani Brits and the like:

Once a person has acquired British citizenship, whether by birth, marriage, or any other way, that is all that matters. As far as the visa waiver scheme is concerned, the US Government is not entitled to look behind the passport and impose restrictions based on who is carrying it. That is tantamount to creating different categories of British citizens, and we should not allow that.

Under our law, every British citizen is entitled to the same rights that attend upon citizenship.

7 Morag asks what one does with one million camels and a son who was mugged:

Did you know that parts of Australia’s Outback are becoming overrun by wild camels? Yep, the country is now home to around 1 million camels roaming the vast tracts of desert. Camels in Australia?! Where on earth did they come from in the first place? Apparently camels were first introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s to transport goods across the desert.

This naturally leads to this:

We all know that on many subjects I am just to the right of Genghis Khan. And I am certainly NOT going to give the ‘let’s give them some hobbies so they won’t be bored’. More inclined to say ‘let’s give them some morals so they know right from wrong’. But we have got to do something. These 6 kids aren’t out there mugging my son because they’re bored.

8 Shani thinks she has the sectret of internal happiness [I make no comment at this time]:

I am a natural optimist – whose magnetic compass was a little distorted over the past few months by others and circumstances around me…..

So that is the secret of my happiness, and the appreciation of all that is good around me – which is more than the bad – on the whole – along with the acceptance that quite a few people are mean, bad and orrible, and I am actually so lucky that I don’t have to live in their heads – that is their problem and probably why they are so sad….

Until Saturday, people. Hope to see you then.