You couldn't make it up

I was weak with laughing at this report about a couple of women who ended up in court after fighting over ... wait for it ... whether a shark was scarier than a crocodile.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/merthyr/2009/12/17/judge-upholds-witch-s-assault-conviction-appeal-91466-25405691/

Discrimination against women in new health boards

Women have been sidelined in the appointments to the new health boards. Not one of the four boards has a female chair, and there is only one female Vice Chair is listed (Cwm Taf doesn't list its Vice Chair).  At Betsi Cadwaladr, there is only 1 woman to 5 men independent members; only 1 out of 7 at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, 1 out of 6 at Cwm Taf.  Cardiff and Vale manages to have 2 out of 8.

Is Mrs Hart really trying to convince us that there are just 5 women in the whole of Wales competent to sit on the Boards? Or perhaps discrimination is alive and kicking, just under another name - Ministerial appointment.

Elin Jones - Winner

The good news? Elin Jones has been voted AM of the year in the Wales Year Book Awards. She is, say the organisers in the Western Mail, 'a Plaid Cymru heavyweight' and it praises her 'highly competent running' of the rural affairs department.

The bad news? It's not that Elin is good full stop but, say the organisers, rural affairs 'is not usually seen as an obvious portfolio for a woman.'

Tell that to the thousands of women who run farms, make cheese, do the accounts, take sheep to market and so on. And why should a portfolio be more 'obvious' for a woman politician - does the Wales Year Book really think women are only suited to portfolios that include babies, sick people and cooking?

The dirty side of clean energy

Covanta - the company trying to build an 'energy from waste' plant in Merthyr Tydfil - aka an incinerator - seem to be splashing the cash to try to clean up their image.  Latest efforts include sponsoring a conference on green jobs, organised by the Institute of Welsh Affairs. They dished out free yoyos, perhaps representing their position on emisisons, and free toffees to chew on while we digested their literature.  Their annual report called 'This is clean' was also much in evidence.  No mention of their fine for pollution as reported in the Western Mail a few months ago.  It won't work Covanta.