Playing The Game

Forwarded from a friend who I deeply respect and admire (and think is super fun to boot), this post - on Whatever by John Scalzi (who I know I'm supposed to know but can't pull out of my brain's muddled files) - is a great way to think about and explain privilege. I'm thinking it is a perfect start into yet another conversation with my white son about what society/culture has handed him without implying that he is or has done something bad. Which usually leads to the accompanying Spiderman "with power comes responsibility" talk.

The part about "Gay Minority Female" almost made me spray coffee out my nose.

Click through on the first line to read the entire post. It is well worth your time.

I’ve been thinking of a way to explain to straight white men how life works for them, without invoking the dreaded word “privilege,” to which they react like vampires being fed a garlic tart at high noon. It’s not that the word “privilege” is incorrect, it’s that it’s not theirword. When confronted with “privilege,” they fiddle with the word itself, and haul out the dictionaries and find every possible way to talk about the word but not any of the things the word signifies.

So, the challenge: how to get across the ideas bound up in the word “privilege,” in a way that your average straight white man will get, without freaking out about it?

Beautiful Modern Swan Dance - Charles "Lil Buck" Riley

*I* am in Vancouver all by myself!!!!  I can't remember the last time I actually took time just to myself.  Last night I had a lovely walk around this funny little neighborhood of Burnaby (it reminds me of Ballard 15 years ago before it got discovered, except with an international mix), ate some amazing pho and went to bed at 9:00.

The Neufeld Institute Conference is here this weekend.  I took the opportunity to come up a day early to rest and wade through my increasingly terrifying pile of things I've said I'd do that are not tracked or maintained in any way.  An hour reading through updates on Things software and refinements on their discussion boards of how to most effectively use the software, and I'm feeling a renewed sense of possibility and commitment.

Anyway, in the course of cleaning out things from my to-do email file, I came across this amazing dance clip forwarded by my housemate.  Hope you love it!

What is iTunes thinking?

So, I'm listening to music and trying to conquer the avalanche-prone heap that was once my desk.  I'm feeling lazy, so I picked play by genres.  Pop seems like good, upbeat sorting music, right?

What I want to know is how Michael Jackson, Iyaz, Air Supply and Frank Sinatra could possibly all fit in there together?

Weird.

Wish me luck on the piles.

Laughed 'til I cried

Need a belly laugh today?

You HAVE to watch this video of David Hasselhoff doing "Hooked on a Feeling" - you know, the ooga-chukka song.

Bill says I'm obsessed, but it just hurts so good.



All props go to Jenn for forwarding this to me!

WOW! "Do Try This At Home"

In working on the links for "Backyard Science" on youtube, I came across something mentioned recently by an acquaintance.  "Do Try This At Home" will definitely inspire Theo to many science antics.  Shoot, I may actually have to make the paper jet engine myself!

Fortunately, Mr.G, the genius behind the show, organized himself a nifty youtube page.  Go get inspired!

Here's the jet engine episode.  Super cool!

Backyard Science

Rosie is captivated by an Australian show right now called Backyard Science.  There are bunches of episodes on youtube, but like the Candian physics show Eureka, they are hard to get to from the main youtube page.  Also, one never knows what evils are lurking on youtube waiting for unsuspecting children.

Below are the links to the youtube episodes of Backyard Science for my kids', and your's, safe viewing pleasure.  I think they have Russian subtitling, anyone know what that language is?

Episode 1


Episode 2


Episode 3


Episode 4


Episode 5


Episode 6


Episode 7


Episode 8


Episode 9-38
n/a
weird...

Episode 39


Episode 40


Episode 41
n/a

Episode 42


Episode 43, 44
n/a

Episode 45


Episode 46, 47
n/a

Episode 48


That seems to be the last Episode available on YouTube.

Karen Mangiacotti is my kind of feminist

This article/post/editorial by Karen Mangiacotti made me scream with laughter and agreement.  It is too good not to share.

The Penis Mom

When I was little I wanted to be a lot of things: Johnny Carson's replacement; A Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader so good I was the only one on the team; an artist with my own wing at the Boston Museum of Fine Art -- you know, normal stuff. I wanted to be a lot of things, but I never -- I PROMISE you -- ever wanted to grow up to be someone known as "The Penis Mom".

But here I am.

go here for full text