Real Men Don’t Bother Women

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16645594

Yesterday in Malawi there was a peacfeul yet powerful protest by women who are angered at being attacked and even stripped for wearing trousers, instead of national dress. Seodi White, lawyer and activist, has been an inspiration, standing up for women’s right to freedom. She said:  “failure to act now in sending a strong message of protest will create widespread actions against women that will be difficult to contain in future’.

It’s really hard to believe that in this day and age a woman cannot dress how she wants, assumptions being made about her from what she wears.  But sexism is still interwoven throughout all societies, east and west alike, nowhere is free of it. Jokes, porn, strippers, rape – it’s all on the spectrum of men still needing power over women.

So I am thankful for strong women like Seodi White who will put their lives on the line for a fairer world, a world where everyone - female and male - can live to their full potential and be the person they were created to be.

Bob

So sad to hear Bob Holness passed away today. He was part of my cultural heritage growing up, hosting the fab kids’ quiz show, Blockbusters. It was comforting to watch, coming in after a day at school, before setting out on an evening of homework (yes, OK, I was a bit of a nerd but proud of it). Just the right pitch of questions for me as a a teenager. And who can forget the infamous ‘Can I have a ‘P’ please, Bob?’?

For those of you who have read my debut novel, The Generation Game, you will know that I have a mild obsession for quiz shows from the 70s ands 80s. In fact, one of my characters, an old lady called Wink, likes to watch Blockbusters of an evening. Well, it was was one of the best. And Bob was a gentleman who I rank up there with the greatest of hosts, even Sir Brucie.

My thoughts are with his family. He will be sadly missed.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.