I've been blogging on LiveJournal.com (albeit under different usernames) since the beginning of 2004. I really love LJ for a variety of reasons, but one of the things I love the most is the "Friends Page" feature that lets you read all of your friends LJs on one page. However, other blogs can't be read on the Friends Page unless a speical feed is set up, and only paid users (which I am not) can set up a feed.
But I have a wonderful friend who has a Paid Account and who set for the feed for me! Anyone who is reading this blog and would prefer to read it on LJ can now do that! The feed is named "feministchild" and can be subscribed to here.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Risk: The Game of Global Domination
This summer I'm working for this organization that does a lot of work around youth empowerment, social justice and community organizing. At the beginning of the summer, we had a overnight retreat. While we did do a lot of getting to know you games, group bonding, and learning more about what we'd be doing this summer, the thing that most sticks out in my memories of the retreat is playing Risk: The Game of Global Domination. All of the boys at the retreat were really into the game, and so I learned how to play. We stayed up most of the night playing Risk, and I really got into it.
The goal of Risk is to take over the world. In the beginning, the countries are divided evenly among the players, but you can challenge a country's owner by rolling a die, and if you win you get to take over that country. For every 3 countries you have, you get another game piece, and if you have a entire continent, you get bonus pieces.
It's not a very politically correct game, so playing it at the retreat was really funny because we're a group of super-aware teenagers who spend most of our time doing activism-related work. As such, the game was interjected with comments about the treatment of the refugees that we were undoubtably causing in our quest to conquer more countries, and the possible loss of culture due to repeated take overs. Risk also doesn't have all the countries in the world. For instance, Middle East and Afghanistan are two huge countries, but there is no Pakistan or Iran or Iraq or Turkmenistan or any other countries that are actually in the Middle East. We discussed why certain countries were part of the game, and why other countries were left out. It was also fun to analyze why we all enjoyed taking over the world so much.
Now, why am I blogging about this now? Like I've said, I've gotten really into it. So into it that last Friday I introduced Risk to my family. It's become so popular that we've spent several hours on each of the last few days playing it. Right now my brother has Asia and Europe, I have North and South America, my dad has Australia, and I'm fighting over Africa with my brother. My sister has lost all her countries and been kicked off the board. I really can't wait to keep playing and possibly Dominate the Globe!
The goal of Risk is to take over the world. In the beginning, the countries are divided evenly among the players, but you can challenge a country's owner by rolling a die, and if you win you get to take over that country. For every 3 countries you have, you get another game piece, and if you have a entire continent, you get bonus pieces.
It's not a very politically correct game, so playing it at the retreat was really funny because we're a group of super-aware teenagers who spend most of our time doing activism-related work. As such, the game was interjected with comments about the treatment of the refugees that we were undoubtably causing in our quest to conquer more countries, and the possible loss of culture due to repeated take overs. Risk also doesn't have all the countries in the world. For instance, Middle East and Afghanistan are two huge countries, but there is no Pakistan or Iran or Iraq or Turkmenistan or any other countries that are actually in the Middle East. We discussed why certain countries were part of the game, and why other countries were left out. It was also fun to analyze why we all enjoyed taking over the world so much.
Now, why am I blogging about this now? Like I've said, I've gotten really into it. So into it that last Friday I introduced Risk to my family. It's become so popular that we've spent several hours on each of the last few days playing it. Right now my brother has Asia and Europe, I have North and South America, my dad has Australia, and I'm fighting over Africa with my brother. My sister has lost all her countries and been kicked off the board. I really can't wait to keep playing and possibly Dominate the Globe!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Adorable Children at My Shul
I'm Jewish, and I belong to a Conservative congregation that has both a traditional and egalitarian minyan and no rabbi. I try to go to shul every Saturday, but this mostly doesn't happen, and I only end up going to shul once or twice a month. But each time I do, I reminded or another reason I love it.
During the service, my dad will often discuss the week's parsha with me, and explain certain aspects or histories of the prayers. I also spend a lot of time just thinking. Shul has become a place where I can attempt to reach clarity on my thoughts. It is also a place that holds a truly amazing community. There are people at my shul who have memories of me before I could walk, and there are also people who are new each week.
One of the things I love the most though are all the children. There are so many, and they are so adorable. Some will just prance around during the service, others will cry (well, only the really young ones), and some will cling tightly to their parents. There is this one girl who can recite almost every word of the service (off-key, of course) and she's only like 3.
Towards the end of the service, before the Aleinu, whoever is leading the service that day will call up all the children and give them a piece of candy. The belief is that prayer should be sweet. It's a tradition that was instilled by our late rabbi. He also loved the kids, and really showed his love. His favourite thing to say at the end of services was "Come more often, bring more friends." Anyways, so today there was this little boy, probably about 2, with his little payot, and he's running to get up to the bima, and he manages to trip over his own feet. Immediately, several people run up to him and try to calm him down, while everyone else looks on sympathetically. Eventually he must have realized that if he didn't stop crying, he was going to miss his chance to get a chocolate kiss. So he gets out of his mother's lap, and his face still wet with tears, runs up and sticks his hand out for the candy, which he promptly receives, along with everyone's laughter.
The kids at my shul are so adorable, and they are one of the things that I really love about going to shul.
During the service, my dad will often discuss the week's parsha with me, and explain certain aspects or histories of the prayers. I also spend a lot of time just thinking. Shul has become a place where I can attempt to reach clarity on my thoughts. It is also a place that holds a truly amazing community. There are people at my shul who have memories of me before I could walk, and there are also people who are new each week.
One of the things I love the most though are all the children. There are so many, and they are so adorable. Some will just prance around during the service, others will cry (well, only the really young ones), and some will cling tightly to their parents. There is this one girl who can recite almost every word of the service (off-key, of course) and she's only like 3.
Towards the end of the service, before the Aleinu, whoever is leading the service that day will call up all the children and give them a piece of candy. The belief is that prayer should be sweet. It's a tradition that was instilled by our late rabbi. He also loved the kids, and really showed his love. His favourite thing to say at the end of services was "Come more often, bring more friends." Anyways, so today there was this little boy, probably about 2, with his little payot, and he's running to get up to the bima, and he manages to trip over his own feet. Immediately, several people run up to him and try to calm him down, while everyone else looks on sympathetically. Eventually he must have realized that if he didn't stop crying, he was going to miss his chance to get a chocolate kiss. So he gets out of his mother's lap, and his face still wet with tears, runs up and sticks his hand out for the candy, which he promptly receives, along with everyone's laughter.
The kids at my shul are so adorable, and they are one of the things that I really love about going to shul.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A Child's Experience of Gender
Tonight my sister was at a birthday party, and no one in my family really wanted to cook dinner, so my parents, brother, and myself went out to dinner. It was really nice. I just enjoy spending time with my family. (Well, mostly. Sometimes they get on my nerves.)
After dinner, my brother went outside to play on this large metal statue-type-thing. I joined him shortly after. It was shaped like a hollow T, and you can climb on to the top part of the T if you are big enough, and have sufficient arm muscles. Both of us managed to get up. We were up there for just a couple of minutes before this other kid joined us. His name was Alex, and he asked us for help getting up, which my brother only too happy to provide.
My brother and Alex got to talking, and I learned that Alex was 7 (my brother is 10), among other things. After a couple of minutes, Alex turned to me and said "So, are you guys like brothers or something?" I quickly explained that I was a girl, and therefore I was my brother's sister. But Alex just couldn't believe it. "Nah, you aren't a girl!" he told me. My brother responded by saying "Yes she is! She's my sister!" At this point, Alex, who was still doubtful about my gender, was called away by his parent.
And I marveled about children's understanding of gender in our society. It was so simple to my brother- I was his sister, no matter what I look like. And yet, to Alex, it was also so simple- I looked like a boy, so I must be my brother's brother.
If only it were so simple.
After dinner, my brother went outside to play on this large metal statue-type-thing. I joined him shortly after. It was shaped like a hollow T, and you can climb on to the top part of the T if you are big enough, and have sufficient arm muscles. Both of us managed to get up. We were up there for just a couple of minutes before this other kid joined us. His name was Alex, and he asked us for help getting up, which my brother only too happy to provide.
My brother and Alex got to talking, and I learned that Alex was 7 (my brother is 10), among other things. After a couple of minutes, Alex turned to me and said "So, are you guys like brothers or something?" I quickly explained that I was a girl, and therefore I was my brother's sister. But Alex just couldn't believe it. "Nah, you aren't a girl!" he told me. My brother responded by saying "Yes she is! She's my sister!" At this point, Alex, who was still doubtful about my gender, was called away by his parent.
And I marveled about children's understanding of gender in our society. It was so simple to my brother- I was his sister, no matter what I look like. And yet, to Alex, it was also so simple- I looked like a boy, so I must be my brother's brother.
If only it were so simple.
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Beginnings of a Blog
I am starting this blog because I recently attended GLSEN's SummerSTART conference where we learned specifically about media and messaging. I have kept a private blog for many years, but I feel it would be good for me to also keep and public record of my opinions. Hopefully, it will also help me improve my writing skills and style.
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