Mothers, please respect your daughters

I know it won't be popular, but I would like to nominate all the women who have never worked for an employer (as opposed to in the home, bringing up children) and therefore do not have a clue about the demands of an outside job or about deadlines, or about what is required from you in exchange for a salary or freelance fees, and think they can phone you for hours any time of the day or night and insist you drop everything you're doing to entertain them or give them advice or just for a chat, or to ask when they can descend on you so you can take them out to lunch (and spend the rest of the afternoon with them). These women are often addressed to as "Mum" by the poor worker and unfortunately cannot be shaken off lightly. The pressure and guilty feelings it creates are enormous.

Mums (or Moms) of grown-up, working daughters, please let them do the jobs they're being paid to do.

A feminist icon with feet of clay

Germaine Greer was foolish enough to participate in Celebrity Big Brother on the telly. She's now left the house in a huff and has explained why, at length, in the papers. What I still don't understand is why she decided it would be a good idea to take part in it in the first place.

She deserves a huge slap (or several) for disappointing every woman for whom she was an important role model. It makes me so sad. :-(