Drumroll please…
Over on is A Somewhat Old, But Capacious Handbag the Carnival of Feminists No 34.
What can I say? It is a handbag that you really wouldn’t want to lug around unless you’re seriously into weight-lifting. It’s big; it’s huge; it’s stupendous, and it goes on a long journey around the globe.
So please don’t waste time here – do go over there and check it out!
Grrrr – I hate Macs; I’d love it if anyone could tell me why, when you are doing a simple drag and drop copy of a file, they half the time manage to create an alias rather than a proper copy….
Yes, I have been using PCs for 20 years, but why are Macs so utterly non-intuitive?!!!!
Another exciting sign that some of the priest-infested parts of Europe are breaking out in a big way – Spain has passed a dramatic equality law that will force political parties to ensure 40% of candidates are women, demands business take steps toward gender equality, and provides real provision for paternal leave at birth, has passed in the parliament.
Worth noting at this point that the current Spanish cabinet is 50% female – as opposed to the British, ahhh, not very many…
The 18th-century email list has been going apples over the weekend – or rather pippins – such a lovely name for a fruit.
It seems, at least on one claim that these originate from seeds germinated by growers, as opposed to the fruit of apple trees those brought into cultivation by grafting.
But somehow when you read the history, “pippins” sound so much more fun than apples. I haven’t been able to lay my hands on the quote, but I recall reading that they were sold as snacks in theatres, and if you were an actor, to be “pippined” meant you weren’t having a good day – in fact you probably had the bruises to show for it.
But a quick Google desktop search (that is a useful thing – really couldn’t live without it these days) came up with an account of the burial of Dame Mary Gardner of Avingdon in 1641. “The beverages consisted of literally gallons of sack, white wine and claret. To eat, there were 60 pounds of cumfits, 15 pounds of biscuits, and 40 dozen cakes. This was supplemented with dried fruits, pears, pippins, quinces, plums, gooseberries an almonds and other delicacies, including macaroons, marzipan, violet cakes and ‘green dry lettuce’. The wine cost over £5, and the food, more than £11.”
(From Gittings, C. Death, Burial and the Individual in Early Modern England, Croom Helm, London, 1984, p. 154.)
But if words are not enough, try this site, for pictures of 1867 apple varities, among which are scores of pippins, including the unattractive moniker of the “greasy pippin”. The link is to the “National Fruit Collection”, obviously a treasure.
Alighting briefly, before flying on, the Britblog roundup is to be found this week on the nicely named From the Dustbin of History. I wouldn’t agree with everything there by a long-shot, yet I do believe in the principle of bringing people with different views together – gosh even Tim Worstall and I agree sometimes…
But there is a nice argument against Trident in there.
But the tale of the week is the seven-day book – put together in that time period to raise money for Comic Relief. So you can decide if UK bloggers are actually funny… click here.
It might have a slightly dismissive title “decorative arts”, it might be focused on the domestic and small scale, but at least a new museum in Paris introduces a great range of female characters, and gives them what should be a permanent place on the tourist trail. I’ve provided what is probably an overly detailed account on My Paris Your Paris.
And my favourite single woman, well a Parisien courtesan, of course, Valtesse de La Bigne. This was her bed, tailor-made, of course:
Well, you do want to make your workplace just so…
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