Secret snapping in Buenos Aires…

I’ve said before that I don’t like the idea of taking photos without people’s permission. It seems a gross invasion of privacy and, well, I don’t suppose I would fancy finding my image plastered all over some stranger’s website/Facebook page/Twitter timeline. Or on a t-shirt in Tesco’s, as happened to fashion blogger Nicola Kirkbride recently.

Now I’m in Buenos Aires though and taking snaps of whatever strikes my fancy as I wander the streets. I do like to wander. I’m also a fan of corner shops that absolutely refuse to change with the times. I take pictures of them more or less everywhere I go. Maybe I should make a Pinterest board of ‘Mad shops I have known and loved’.

This picture was of the shop, not of the woman who is glaring at me for taking it. I didn’t even know she was in shot at first; I was standing in the middle of a junction at the time so was a bit distracted. When I did realize she was there, it was a bit too late. It occurred to me to explain to her what I was doing but a) she looked pretty hostile and b) my Argentinian Spanish is not quite up to scratch yet (I am, after all, the woman who asked someone at a bus stop last night if this was the front or the back of his arse. I meant queue – of course I did!! – but, um, that wasn’t at all obvious!)

So I didn’t ask the lady for permission. Indeed, I more or less legged it. Not that I’m a coward or anything (*faces camera* – ‘I am!‘) I feel like I’ve crossed a line that I’m pretty uncomfortable about crossing. Then I wonder if it’s such a big deal – did a quick snap of a corner shop really cause anyone any bother? Which then makes me wonder if other people take secret snaps without giving it a second thought. Do you? Would you?

Finally, I come to thinking that I just quite like the photo. This doesn’t mean I think it’s OK to take pictures without asking. Not often anyway…

Kindle Schmindle

 

You may recall that I recently raved about Kindles. They’re so convenient, I said, so light, so eco-friendly, so easy to use. All of these things remain true however I have discovered a problem. Call me slow on the uptake (no, don’t) but I’ve only just discovered the rip-off prices charged for Kindle books. I put my tardy realization down to the aforementioned slowness and, um, the fact that I had a gift voucher so haven’t had to buy anything until now. For a few weeks, I have been the Viv Nicholson of ebooks, spend, spend, spending without a thought for the cost.

Now that it comes to parting with my own hard cash, I’ve discovered that the pricing policy followed by mainstream publishers is nothing short of outrageous. Or perhaps we might say shortsighted, because in an incredibly competitive market, ebooks by the biggest-selling novelists are potentially pricing themselves out.

The Kindle Appreciation Society?

Along with more than a million other people in the UK I got a Kindle for Christmas. As someone who’s supposed to love books, accepting it was a major step for me – on a par, I thought, with lobotomizing myself and single-handedly destroying (what’s left of) the publishing industry, thus betraying my past, present and future. The Kindle is a tool of the devil, I thought; The Man in electronic form. What is a world without those beautiful artifacts that, erm, rip easily, weigh a ton and cost a fortune?

How to be fit (hint: not by buying Stella McCartney workout gear)

This post is otherwise entitled ‘Expensive sports gear will not give you a bum like Jessica Ennis’.

In case you were wondering, Jessica Ennis looks amazing like this because she is actually fit

In Britain, host country for this year’s Olympics, 2012 is being touted as the year of sport and fitness. Well, the papers need to tout it as the year of something or other. The clearer the focus, the easier the product placement and advertising by proxy.

So, new(ish) year, new(ish) you and all that. Sport and fitness is as good as any other label for selling an entire year, isn’t it? Better than many, in fact. Beats the year of the gadget, the video game or some of the other rubbish we’ve been offered in the past. I’d certainly prefer to see the world fitter and healthier and I do like the idea that activity is being promoted over consumption.

Women in Sport (except in the media…)

There’s been a furor recently over the absence of women on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ten-man (sic) shortlist. The nominations are made by the sports editors of 27 UK newspapers and magazines. None of the reports I’ve read say if there are any women among these editors but my guess would be a big fat No.

There have been 11 and a half female winners of the main SPOTY award (there are 8 categories) in its 57 year history. The half was ice skater Jayne Torvill, who shared the award with Christopher Dean. Two of the others were, um, Princess Anne and her daughter, Zara Phillips. Please don’t ask me what this says about this strange country and our attitudes towards royals who actually do something/anything. I’m quite sporty but even I can’t muster the energy to think about that one. 

What a girl can learn from a boys’ book club…

My last post dealt with grown up, serious, brow furrowing, chin scratching political issues. This one is about men, books and going to the pub…

Aren’t networks wonderful? Recently a men’s book club in Leeds asked the incredible Culture Vulturess to help them crowd source their next book for discussion.When I say ‘men’s book club’, women have been known to cringe or say ‘Ew’ or words to that effect. Let me clarify. They don’t read ‘men’s’ books – not smut, not stereotypically ‘male’ action hero, guns ‘n’ grenades books. They’re all men, that’s all. Middle aged, mostly middle class men (their description, not mine) who wanted to do something constructive and intellectually stimulating some of the time.

I’m all for the fashion poppy…

Blimey, what a lot of  fuss there’s been this week about a little paper flower!

It’s been suggested that the poppy is a fashion statement, a frivolity, a meaningless appendage. At the same time, it’s viewed as symbol of support for war or a means for corporations to feign  sensitivity (everyone at the BBC has to wear one therefore it’s a bad thing etc). In short, it’s fashionable to argue that people wear poppies not because they want to but because they’re ‘supposed’ to, whether because it’s cool or there’s a workplace edict. By extension, the suggestion is that the millions of people who wear them are foolish and misguided.

I disagree profoundly. My parents ran a Royal British Legion Club when I was growing up (I know, the glamour!) and we kids spent an unusual amount of time chatting to old soldiers. I never heard any of them say war was a wonderful thing, that they enjoyed it, that it was a brilliant idea and they wished we could do it all over again. On the contrary, they often talked of how damaging it was, how awful, how they hoped it would never happen again. But on Remembrance Sunday, they all pinned poppies next to their medals as they stood solemnly for the two minutes’ silence and remembered the places they’d been and the people they’d lost.

The poppies they wore were, of course, made by wounded ex-servicemen and women. The workforce is still drawn from these ranks, as it were. I don’t suppose they think the poppy is a bad idea either, more like something that helps them to earn a living as they adapt to civilian life again.

Lest we forget, society changes but war hasn’t gone away yet. We can fight to make that happen but, even if we succeed, every single person, soldier or civilian, who has died deserves two minutes of our thoughts. A poppy is, for me, simply symbolic of that reflection.

As for the fashion accessory thing, to be honest, I don’t care if there are some (and I’m sure their numbers are few) who treat it that way. Jeez, surely something that shows you’re thinking has to be a better fashion statement than a handbag that costs ten grand or a pair of shoes you need to take out a mortgage for, doesn’t it?

The image is from the UK Handknitting Association who do knitting projects for charity. Check it out – maybe we can all knit way cool, fashion forward poppies for next year

Links to two of the prominent anti-poppy articles published this week -  from Robert Fisk in the Independent and Laurie Penny in the New Statesman.