I know our music tastes might differ, and I could probably get over the premise of her tv show as an organic vegetarian in Spain (well, no, not really, Spain without meat is just a waste), but I can't get to grips with Gwyneth giving parenting advice.


Even her new year's "Clean" diet makes marginally more sense (I'm clutching at straws here. I'm far too hungry for protein shakes).


In a recent interview quoted in my favourite paper (note sarcasm, although the addition of Mia Freedman helps push it a little in the right direction) -  the Herald Sun, Gwynnie was quoted as saying that women who want to have children should seriously consider being stay-at-home mothers. In between visits to the personal trainer no doubt. 

This is definitely how I look  - just like Gwyn - all the time. Really. Complete with smile...

While I admire the fact that her husband has changed his own work schedule to make it family friendly, blanket statements like these don't help those of us who have to try and make work and parenting balance. Really it's hard enough without having celebrities demonstrating how different their lives are to our reality. That is unless any of you have too much money, oodles of time and an extensive staff, in which case, why don't we hang out at your house for a change. I promise H won't make a mess, maybe....

Home for stories before dinner

In my world however, things are a bit unbalanced today. I'm headachy and tired - it appears I can't sleep without interruption! H did survive his time without me with only a few tears as he searched the house for me this morning (yep, my heart broke a little when I heard that), and he has been a little grumpier and clingier than usual this afternoon (the typical - "I love you, no I hate you, actually I'm not sure, so I'll just lie on the floor and kick a bit until you sort it out for me"). I'm hopeful that tomorrow will me give a few more chances for me to win him back over - at least until the next toddler tantrum.

So I'm a little angry today. Only a little, and only due to reading the Herald Sun, which is kind of like looking at a car crash - you know you shouldn't look, but find yourself unable to stay away.
I wasn't even reading Bolt's column, or Miranda Devine.

I was reading the sport section, which I get to claim for my own, given that my husband is away for the week. Sport should be pretty safe and innocuous, or so I thought as I sipped my latte at a local cafe with the little fish by my side offering up his own opinions on the world.

This does give a fake view of what my day-to-day home life is like - usually lots more opinions - accompanied by the word no, and lots less latte sipping, however the fish and I were all worn out after the photo shoot for the local paper - also not an every day event - more on that later!

So on to the article.....

Not all things can be equal - Scott Gullan, Herald Sun

I have no issue with the argument that the men's final was longer, more draining and more entertaining. Do I think they should be paid more? Maybe not more than they are at the moment - hey $6515.60 per minute isn't bad, but it would be hard to argue that Djokovic and Rafa were equal to Azarenka and Sharapova. None of that made me angry. Not close.

What infuriated me was the dismissal of any inequality of women in the workplace - just cause there is a female PM and a few scattered female CEO's of large companies. Board representation is still overall low and there are nowhere near as many female politicians, not to mention the overall salary discrepancies and lower super levels due to time out from the workforce (which although "voluntary", is under-compensated and under-recognised). Further dismissing women's tennis as a chance to discuss fashion and image over the water cooler, the author thus fails to acknowledge the skill and talent of the women in getting to their elite level. Hitting a low of referring to a supermarket worker in rural Victoria as a "girl" just consolidates the overall discriminatory tone of the piece.

Maybe that was what all the screaming on the court was about.