Hullo,

I hope you are having a lovely Christmas time! Today’s links are about where we focus our attention, what we ignore, and what the results of that might be.

It is not usual for Feminist Friday to include articles which are both by and about a man, but I like this a lot and hope you do also:

The deliberate decision to call on only female reporters was a subtle gesture but a big deal. While there is no shortage of talented women in political journalism, like in many other sectors they're often crowded out of highly ranked and conspicuous positions due to individual and institutional prejudice.

http://mic.com/articles/106924/obama-made-history-by-ignoring-men-for-an-entire-press-conference

Dominique Howard is better than anyone else in the world at Word 2007 WHERE ARE YOU ALL GOING, THAT IS INTERESTING. If you want to, you can also read this as an article about the power of not being ignored:

I see a person who identified this awesome, unexpected achievement as a key to unlocking some inner positivity, and proceeded to turn that key—the kind of practical, efficient choice that makes her a virtuoso of Microsoft Word. I see a person propelled into diverse endeavors throughout her life by a relentless curiosity, all along waging a quiet fight against self-doubt, and growing up, and starting to win that fight.

http://thehairpin.com/2014/12/dominique-howard-microsoft-word-world-champion

On the flipside, there are nice pieces in about ignoring failure in order to get your work done in this vintage article about Nora Ephron:

For a long time, Ephron kept a picture of the mobster John Gotti on her desk, taken during the trial that sent him to prison for the rest of his life. “He was walking out of the courthouse in the most perfect suit, and he looked so great,” Ephron told me. To her, it symbolized a spunky defiance that she could appreciate: self-confidence in the face of humiliation and defeat.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/07/06/nora-knows-what-to-do

Enjoy your Boxing Day,

Alex.