Paid Maternity Leave – Don’t Knock It!

I have just read an article which has frankly disgusted me. It would appear that in France, women are entitled to 16 weeks paid maternity leave. This is not what disgusts me of course. I am thrilled that there are women in this world who are able to have access to a “benefit” of this nature. Unfortunately, this benefit is not extended to all. In Australia, for example, we have no such luck. Some employers choose to offer some paid maternity leave, but they are few and far between and the lengths of paid maternal freedom vary greatly. Having first hand experience of the problems that this lack of maternal appreciation causes, I read this article with interest. Read it for yourself of course, but in summary, it talks about how one of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ministers, Rachida Dati, appeared at a public political function with him five days after the caesarean birth of her child. Five days! Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t five days the recommended hospital stay following a birth of this nature? I can appreciate that for some women, their financial situation might mean that regardless of their level of desire to become a mother, they may have to go back to work to make ends meet. However, this is so obviously not the case for Dati, and considering that in countries like Australia so many women are forced to make the agonising decision to go back to work earlier than they would have liked, for someone to simply ignore their right to 16 weeks of maternal freedom is appalling. Not to mention that their child/children will grow up with a stronger bond to their carer than to their own mother. Really, if work is that important to you, fine, but do not think that you can simultaneously be a decent mother. I just do not see the point in having a baby if you’re not prepared to dedicate more time. How irresponsible!

To read the article, click here: mommytrackd.com/Rachida-Dati

Australian Idol – Maker or Breaker?

Wow… Marcia Hines and Richard E. Grant go head to head. It seems that Richard has spoken out against Australian Idol, much to Marcia’s distaste. This is a tricky one. You see, I have always liked both of these people. Indeed I found Marcia Hines the only bearable part of Australian Idol, far better (and in a far better position career wise) to make appropriate comments and judgments on true music ability. Unfortunately, in this instance I must disagree with her. As far as I’m concerned, Richard E. Grant hit the nail on the head, and his words should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks Idol will make them. If indeed that were to happen, it’d be through sheer dumb luck. Given Idol’s audience, fickle as they are, the most an Idol contestant can usually hope for is to be a one hit wonder that then rapidly fades into obscurity. These hopeful musicians get their faces on television, which is a novelty in itself. Some of them may even by talented (I know, it’s a stretch, but it’s possible.) Read More…

Collins English Dictionary – has the world gone mad?

Our language is changing every day, with a multitude of new “words” becoming part of popular speech on a daily basis. Now, I am exposed to popular culture just as regularly as the next person, and I must admit that some of these new “words” have found their way into my own speech. I do not, however, even try to kid myself that they might actually be legitimate vocabulary, to be acknowledged in any proper, scholarly form. As far as I am concerned, they are merely a means of lazily expressing oneself when one cannot be bothered to construct a proper sentence to convey one’s feelings. In particular, I refer to the recent addition of “meh”, a sound made popular by The Simpsons and now regularly used throughout a large portion of the English speaking world, to the Collins English Dictionary. It reminds me of the “Scrabble Dictionary” at my Nanna’s, which, while useful when you have crappy letters, is complete and utter rubbish. Whenever we struggle to compose a word from the seven letters provided, we start to get creative, asking ourselves “I wonder if that’s in the ‘stupid book’ (as we call it)”. Read More…

TQO – What the?

I’m sorry, but whoever thought that abbreviating the word “The” was acceptable deserves to lose their job. Not sure what I’m talking about? Ok. In Brisbane, we now have one main symphony orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra. It’s a silly name, given that it was previously called The Queensland Symphony Orchestra - a much more appropriate name I believe but some idiot thought to change it. Yes, yes, I know. The name change occurred as a result of the amalgamation of two orchestras, but the end result was an orchestra that performs the same functions as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra always did, so what’s the difference, apart, obviously, from some new players?? Anyway, for the years the orchestra held its previous title, it was commonly called the QSO. Presumably when the orchestra’s name changed they wanted something just as catchy as the QSO, but the QO doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. So what did they do? They called it the TQO. The The Queensland Orchestra. Just like a Personal Identification Number Number (PIN number) or an Automatic Teller Machine Machine (ATM machine). Very clever people…. Not only did you totally unnecessarily change the orchestra’s name, under which it had thrived and built its reputation for 54 years, but you also stooped so low as to now be on a par with financial institutions in stupid acronym stakes. What were you thinking? Classical musicians are supposed to be intelligent!

P.S. On a brighter note, if you’re interested… The lovely lady smack bang in the middle of the front row is my Nanna

Hello & Welcome!

The sad little lunatic begins…

Originally a phrase from The Vicar of Dibley, I often feel this a particularly appropriate term for myself these days. As a relatively new Mummy, baby brain has well and truly taken over and given the thoughts most often occupying my brain, lunacy is never far away. I knew having a baby would be a life changing experience, but one wonders if the definition of insanity has something to do with being able to remember and describe my four month old daughter’s last bowel movement with incredible accuracy, yet being unable to remember the last time I washed my hair, or just about anything else non baby related to be honest…. Even as I type now she is precariously balanced on my left arm, and I am trying not only to stop her falling but also to convince her that this word document is just as interesting as the brightly coloured computer game she was watching earlier. Sounds like great parenting, that does. Well, sometimes in the 15 or so straight hours of baby awake time I need a little release – that, and it’s hard to think of quality baby entertainment for such a long stretch. Mind you, today I was lucky. We have just awoken from a two hour sleep. I say we, because on the rare occasion that the baby actually decides to sleep during the day, it is on the condition that I sleep right beside her. We both needed it, although fuzzy-brained as I am I often think I need it more. See, if I have her in bed before 11pm, it’s truly a miracle. It’s not that I don’t try either, but there’s something about her Mummy’s arms that makes her cot thoroughly detestable. I completely empathise – why would you want to go to bed when you can be warmly cuddled less than an inch from the food supply you utterly adore? As a result, however, 99% of the time I am conscious, she is too, and this therefore results in her sometimes looking at the computer screen along with me. Read More…