Sorry for the long silence. What's got me fired up today...just the further erosion of our civil liberties, that's all. I came across this article in the British Journal of Photography http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=836675
about legislation due to come in on 16th February in the U.K., the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, which amends the earlier Act in 2000. Under this law, anyone taking a photograph of a policeman could face up to 10 years in prison. 10 years. For snapping a cop! Why you'd want to, really, I don't know; but still, that seems to me a little ridiculous. And apparently it's already been put to good use, stripping photographers at protests of their cameras and footage.
And then I came across this column by the very readable George Monbiot (whom I've almost forgiven for having several allotments in a city with huge waiting lists on every bit of green growing space, and I should know. I mean, the aim of allotments is self-sufficiency, right? How many does he need?) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/05/anti-stalking-liberty-central
It's all about how the original anti harassment law, the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act, has now been liberally reinterpreted to allow it to be used against, you guessed it, peaceful protesters. Maybe 'liberally' was the wrong choice of word here. The people to be arrested under this act have, so far, been protesters and not stalkers (the original target of the legislation). I'm not a very political person. I'm left-ish leaning I guess, but you know what? I don't hate policemen. What I do hate is the government-generated culture of fear and their chipping away at civil rights and liberties in the name of 'fighting terror' (wtf? How do you fight an EMOTION?) and making us all safe little citizens.

Banana Loaf

Old favourite, great for using up over-ripe ‘nanas. You will need a loaf tin.

300g plain flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp of salt

110g butter

200g caster sugar

2 eggs

85 ml buttermilk (or mix normal milk with 1.5tsp of vinegar or lemon juice)

1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Grease a loaf tin. Sift together the flour, bicarb and salt. Cream the butter and sugar til pale and fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, and mix well. Fold in the flour and the banana, a bit at a time, alternating. Pour into loaf tin. Bake for about 1 hr til brown. Cool in tin for a few minutes before removing.

Delicious sliced with butter or can be iced (cream cheese frosting works well).

Culture, Comment and Cake

My name is thunderthief. I might steal your thunder, but I won't rain on the parade.
Hi, and welcome to my blog. I know I'm supposed to have a hook within the first 2.5 words that will have you riveted and willing therefore to expend valuable finger energy scrolling down, so I've definitely missed that target, but here it is: this blog will mix culture, comment and cake. My take on the news, as a journalism student and an interested reader; my life as a young single parent; my take on the culture and counter-culture I encounter; and a few crafty suggestions and recipes, because in a world where shopping is regularly listed as women's favourite activity and one in which I'm pretty much always broke, I think a return to creativity - the make-do-and-mend of previous generations - is called for.

My name is thunderthief - I steal thunder, obviously, but in the nicest possible way - you'll hardly miss it, and you'll love the way I present it. It's recycling, like those super cool little cars made out of tin cans and wire that the kids in South Africa make, or Freitag bags. They're made out of truck tarps and seatbelts. They are beautiful, in a German sort of way. They cost a bit more than the aforementioned tin can cars, though.