Female Solidarity

I came across this article today. Never mind the title. Go and read it and come back. This post is not an attack on Islam or a commentary about the wearing of different types of veils. Click here to see graphics of the different types of veils. Found on BBC News. Basic information about Islam here.

These ladies just touched my heart today. They sound so lonely. Powerless in even the smallest decisions- to wear a veil or to remain uncovered in their own homes, to walk in their neighborhood unaccompanied, the ability to have their legal testimony equal that of a man (it is my understanding that in some countries a woman's testimony is only fractionally weighted as a man's), the right to vote. Not to have to ask permission for the littlest things- lunch out with a friend, to hold a job. Never mind all of the political problems that separate us, women everywhere should have the same access to food, education, power over their own bodies, equal say in familial and intimate relationships.


It sounds like the only full freedom they have is in their thoughts. I understand that the form of Islam in Saudi Arabia is one of the strictest in the world. But what are the differences between what the faith teaches and what are the cultural norms? Obviously, it is easy to conflate Islam and the culture but they are different. There's so much misunderstanding and misinformation between our countries, I fear there won't be peace until we can breach the walls we have built between each other.



Women here in the US have only had the right to vote since 1920 and the right to own property outright, across the country generally speaking, since 1900. Women's suffrage around the world is still relatively young. Western women ought not be so smug, we've traveled a long hard road to win the freedoms we have. What my daughter takes for granted was once unthinkable. We women need to learn to stand together, not pull each other down.

Not Dead

YET. Still here, in fact. However, I've been all atwitter over recent kerfuffles at work the end result of which is that I've finally put in my two week notice. My last day will be next Tuesday. Which is actually one of my regular days off. Yes I planned it that way. My notice had been in for a week when another huge storm blew in and my manager asked me to stay. Until then she appeared to be perfectly ok with my leaving. Once the storm hit she asked me if there was anything she could do to convince me to stay. Then told me nothing I asked for would be guaranteed or promised. So my answer, of course, will be:"No thank you. I'm leaving."

Meanwhile I just finished a huge test(one of only two aside from the final) in the computer class I'm taking. I've no idea how I did. Maybe God will smile at me and bless me with a B. But I doubt it. I'm behind in one of the projects. Another project is due Thursday. A project I thought I'd saved but now I can't find it. I also have a post due up Thursday morning at Access Romance. APost which is as yet, unwritten.

On the plus side, I saw an old friend today and we're hoping to get together next week after I stop working. Also on the plus side, my sister sent me a basket of coffee and a mugstand for our birthday. No, we're not twins, but our natal days sit side by side in May.

However, I have been reading. One day in the future when I'm caught up and my children have had a home cooked meal and my house is semi clean I'll post my thoughts.

Thursday 13 #38- Family Updates

Click the link in the title to see a list of other Thursday 13 participants. Thursday 13's reason for being to help bloggers get to know one another. Leave a link to your TT in the comments and I'll link to you here.

1. College Student has quit his job to focus on his studies. Prioritizing is a skill many of us need to work on, students especially.

2. Anime Queen is planning to go to New Orleans for a week this summer with her church youth group. They will be rebuilding and passing out supplies for a week. Our parish has adopted a church with an identical name and we've worked with them over the last few years.

3. Pianist has become the school accompanist. He's played for the 6th grade play and the county spelling bee. His music teacher wants him to conduct a little, and has tried to get him to do it during Thursday night handbells. Pianist, though, was self conscious and uncomfortable.

3. The Husband is frustrated at work, staffing issues and his boss trying to juggle a serious family medical problem which is distracting her. School seems to be perculating along, which I'm glad to see. I think it helps keep him going, knowing that every day he's in school brings him one day closer to his goals.

4. Next weekend we're going into DC for the anime movie marathon held at the Freer. It's free (YAY!) and there will be fireworks that night too. Plus- College Student is coming home to go with us.

5. Anime Queen is begging to go to the street fest the following weekend (April 12th), but both Hubby and I have to work. I can't decide if she could go for a little while during the day while I'm working. Doubt it but she's very convincing.

6. I've decided to give my notice at work, probably at the end of April. Read this post to understand why. When I accepted this job I knew it might not last long because of the commute issues, but it has really snowballed out of control. I will stay through the end of Hubby's semester because I want to keep that promise.

7. College Student went to my sister's a couple of weeks ago to play with his little cousins. He says the little one (a toddler) is quite a firecracker and the older one (early elementary age) loves to play Grand Theft Auto. My Lovely Sister was working, but notre chere Grandmere, who comments here, made all the boys go outside.

8. No progress on finding a Japanese language class for the AQ. The one held by the community college begins May 19 and goes twice weekly all summer, but she'd still be in regular classes and needs to concentrate on those first. Not to mention having two trips away.

9. Speaking of AQ again, she has been promised a ticket to the Warped 2008 Tour. IF she gets a C for the year in IBMYP Algebra II. She's gone to tutoring all year and has still struggled mightily. I happened on this incentive by accident with prodding by College Student, but if it works more to the good. Poor girl's gonna get ulcers because of her math struggles.

10. Other than work and stress and high blood pressure and ulcers, the family life is anemic. April's going to be the longest month, I swear. I am regretful on the kids' behalf, but the Lord gave me this job when we needed the extra money to set College Student up and to pay for the car. It'll all work out in the end, I think. For everyone's benefit. Think positive and have faith. *That's me reminding myself*

11. The gentlemen in the family are hoping to go camping this summer, and are aiming for somewhere out in the Shenandoah Valley. They threaten to take the AQ- as the representative female and as one who whines at the start but beats the boys in enthusiasm in the end.

12. No the Wife will not go camping. She will stay home and play with her books.

13. Or visit the chere grandmere. Or garden. Anything but camp.

Stressed and Conflicted

Work is still kicking my my butt, although at this point it's due to schedule changes which have resulted in closing one night, 10 pm and later, and opening the next morning, 6 am. Repeatedly. I'm looking for another job, the constant schedule changes and high stress levels are pulling me down into the abyss. The Husband took my blood pressure on a whim last week. According to the American Heart Association online, I'm now in the "pre high bloodpressure" category. Borderline. How fabulous! Hubby sat me down for a big lecture on stress reduction and eating better (as if) and maybe I oughta reconsider this line of work.

I'm really conflicted about the whole employment issue, to be honest. I found a job so he could return to school while he's already working full time. I didn't want him to have to work extra hours to make ends meet, especially while he's in school. I want to keep my promise. He points out that only four days of extra work per month and he can equal what I'm bringing home. He didn't say it to put me down, although it is discouraging, only in an attempt to help me feel like it's ok to let this one go. So that's one arm being pulled in one direction.

Another arm is held by the kids, who in the last two weeks, have seen me only a couple of days because of school. Meaning, to be clear, that I'm off mornings and then go to work right before they come home. I don't return until after 11 pm, long after they're in bed. Husband works late evenings as well, so over the last few weeks they've been home alone for the afternoon and evening three nights a week. Which isn't what I signed up for.

I know that most of my problem is simply whining. There are women I work with who can't quit, who are the main breadwinners or who have a financial situation where their income is absolutely required. While we'd have to be careful and Hubby would have to be sure to get his four days in, I could simply leave without finding a job first. I'm in a better situation than many others and I know it.

The third problem is that my schedule has greatly interfered with our church activities, most importantly Sunday attendance. I think I've only managed to get to Sunday services four or five times since Christmas. The kids' activities have been sharply surtailed too, because of transportation problems. We live 30+ miles away from the parish, so carpooling is out of the question. No one lives as far out as we do. Like all people, I'm made of clay. Skippinig church if I want to is ok, not great but ok. But having my option to attend or to stay home taken away is like a pebble in my shoe.

So Hubby's added four days to his schedule this next few weeks. I've not given notice yet. I've not made up my mind. I'm job hunting. I miss my kids and I miss my church. There's a huge part of me that says that I just need to grow up and get with the program, all adults have to make compromises with work and family life. I know that and it's ok. I just feel like the job is winning.

Thursday 13 #37- Family Update

I've not done a family update in a couple of months, I think. So this morning is as good a time as any. Right? I can't help it if my prof. drones on and on and on and this network is really fast and I'm bored and....it's supposed to snow tonight!!! YAY!!

Click link in title above for a list of other TT participants. Leave a link in the comments and I'll link to you. The purpose of TT is to help bloggers get to know each other better.

1. Husband is a reluctant blogger, link HERE to his/our fitness blog. One post each, not all that impressive. Yet. LOL :)

2. Graduate is now employed at a fast food restaurant & gets free/reduced meals. Leading to his grandmothers and I worrying that he is giving himself clogged arteries at 19. It's wonderful to have a teenager who's fabulous so much so that all I really worry about is his heart health.

3. Anime Queen is bucking for a college hunting trip out to Chicago to visit an art school out there. Husband wishes to go and see the Cubbies if we go.

4. Re: #3, I've already taken a week off in August & so has Hubby. We've not made any firm plans, but it's being tossed around.

5. Pianist is set to play intermission music at a play his school is putting on tomorrow night, weather permitting. He says he plans to play most of the pieces he's been working on with his piano teacher.

6. Also, I've asked Pianist's teacher (aka our church organist and choirmaster) to hunt around for voice and piano camp this summer. Pianist needs to be busy and his singing voice, when you can get him to solo for you- which is rarely, is still soprano. That beautiful clear bell tone only achievable by young men yet untouched by puberty.

7. Anime Queen and a girlfriend are planning to be a girls' church group camping trip youth leaders. This will be with the girlfriend's youth group, a different denomination than we are, but I don't care. Fresh air. Girlfriends. The great outdoors. Faith. It doesn't get much better, except that it'll be free to us. A twofer. lol

8. As for me..er I'm taking a computer class. As I mentioned above. Right now. But he's droning on and on and on about the origins of the internet. And Reston (VA, right up the road) being important to the WWW. So here I am instead. With you. :)

9. Work is ..worky. A word of my own invention, meaning ...meh, more of the same, you get the idea. Some days ulcer inducing. Other days quiet and uneventful. We're finally entering the 21st century and all new equipment is being installed over the next few days. Most everyone else I work with are stressed to the max. Not me. As far as I'm concerned it's about damn time and it'll make the whole work experience easier by far.

10. Valentine's was quiet and simple. Filled with chocolate of all types and colors and flavors. We spent it together at home. Maybe next month we'll do something for Hubby b'day and St. Patrick's day combined. If we're not exhausted by the work and school and family schedules that leave us with so much time together. NOT

11. Our neighbor had a screen pried off of their back window a week or so ago. I'd be very nervous except our backdoor a) barely opens because the floor is uneven and won't allow the door open wider than 12" and b) is partially blocked by furniture. The window part? No ideas on what to do about that other than the fact that most days we have an uneven schedule and you can never really tell who's home when. I really want a dog though. A dog who barks.

12. Anime Queen's talk of college hunting has kind of squeezed my heart a little. I'd not thought much about her getting ready to fledge out of our little nest. But here she is, talking about colleges and what she might like to study. Wanting a job where she can work anywhere around the world if she wants to. All of which we've encouraged, it's just my poor little heart isn't quite ready to consider it all.

13. Well, that's all the news that's fit to print for now I think. More next month.

Drive By

Just a quick drive by to say hi and happy New Year and Merry Christmaqwaanzikah and whatnot. We're still around. Busy. Tired. Overscheduled. Eating too much. Happy to spend time with Graduate while he's been home, sad we've had to work most of the time he's been here. Gonna be out of town for a couple of days visiting the family, but hope to post a Thursday 13 some time tomorrow.

Hope all of you out there had a joyful and rejuvenating Holiday- whichever winter fest you choose to participate in. Many happy hours curled around a good book with more hours and books in the near future.

20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago this morning I married the man who would grow into my life so deeply I can't describe to you what it means or how we achieved it. I certainly never realized, at the time, what I was getting myself into. The most profound moment during the ceremony itself was when the priest took off her stole,wrapped it around our joined hands and said, "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder."

We've hit the 'psychic' stage. You know, finish each other's sentences. Can tell the spouse's favorite family/childhood stories better than the spouse can. Make impulse purchases in the grocery store which, when brought home, the spouse says, "Thanks honey I was just thinking that ____ would be good right about now."

Happy Anniversary Darling~ May we have many, many more

Updates

The Graduate~ Received his precious diploma June 12 during a mercifully fast graduation that had speeches & awards etc over and done within 2 hours. For 560+ grads. We were quite impressed. The GF had received hers (after quite a battle with the school system, apparently, due to her serious illness) several days before. We, all 5 of us, the GF, my MIL & FIL & SIL & niece, went out to dinner afterward, which the ILs sneakily paid for (with a *huge* thanks! from us. The stadium job is turning out to be only 2 days during the stretches when the team is in town, so another job search is on. Him and every other teenager around here.

Daughter~ Just left this morning on the church sponsored pilgrimage to Germany. We squeezed in a visit to the Holocaust Museum to fill her in on relevant information as WW II has played a huge part in the formation of modern Germany. The museum is not for the faint of heart. It isn't graphic per se, but definitely roasts your heartstrings & makes you angry about the Balkans, Rwanda & Darfur. We had to forcibly remove Daughter's fanfic notebooks & take them to a GF's house. The idea of the pilgrimage, obviously, is to leave your comfortable & familiar things behind you to explore other cultures & push your boundaries & deepen your faith. Which would've been hard for her to do if she'd had her head buried in her fanfics. I did buy her a journal & a sketchbook to record her thoughts in though. And told her that drawing might be a good way to meet people in the hostels in Germany. Now if only my BIL (or my Mom) could've taught her some basic German. Like- "Where's the mac & cheese?" & "Where's the ladies' restroom?" or "I'm lost & I don't speak German!"

Son #2~ Is due to visit my parents starting Saturday. I've been told there's painting in the air, the upstairs hallway I believe. Also, deckwashing and vegetable gardening. Soon afterward he'd due to go away to sleep away camp up in the mountains near the WV border. It'll be his first time (he's 11) away from the family. Like Daughter, he too will be pushing boundaries & comfort zones & learning how to get along with others. I already copied out his reading list for next year, lucky boy!, although I've not purchased any titles yet. He only has to read 2 (I think), but he's on the waiting list at the library for three audiobooks of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books. Plus there's the new Harry Potter book & movie. I can see Son #2 putting me off until August with the required reading. Easily.

Husband~ Is still battling away with the former employer. The wheels of bureaucracy grind oh so slowly. The new job suits him to a T, but the 12 hour shifts are routinely 13-14+ hours. He's exhausted after his usual 3 day stretch. He says it's like going from Econolodge healthcare to the Ritz, though. The place is amazing. They've already put him through a pharmacology refresher & a disrhythmia course with seminars on the newest insulin dosing and research.

Oh yes, funny family story. The FIL loves to try & pull the wool over his family's eyes about what his drs. tell him about his illness. The newest one being diabetes. Husband calls his dad one day, by coincidence his dad was waiting for meds at the local pharmacy. FIL tries to tell Husband, "My Dr. says it's ok if my sugars are too high. It won't seriously effect my other illnesses or make me feel worse." Husband braeks out into guffaws of laughter, tears running down his face, turning bright bluish-purple (sounds scary, but he looks just like a giant blueberry). He holds the phone away from him for at least a minute. "Dad. You don't expect me to believe that BS do you?! I'm a nurse. Remember?" The FIL was not best pleased. At ALL. We however, found it quite quite funny. And sad.

Remind me to tell you about the 6 mile hike we took. In 95 degree heat. Also- not read a damn thing in the entire month. Next Thursday I've a neato 13 about stuff I saw around the Capitol last Wednesday. I think.

Today begins Yom HaShoah

Today marks the start of Holocaust Rememberance Week- Yom HaShoah. Image from The Hatikvah Center.

Kaddish
Prayer for the dead, translated from Hebrew, courtesy of MyJewishLearning.com

Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.

May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen.

Lest we forget, there are still plenty of places on our little blue marble that have plenty of genocide going on, right in plain sight. Check out google earth & the US Holocuast Museum's newest project on Darfur, Sudan. We are EACH OBLIGATED to do what we can to stop the evil among us.

Family Updates

The Husband~ was offered a position at a hospital on the very northern edge of our part of metro DC. No more $$, but it's day shift (thank you, Jesus!) and has superb bennies incl. full coverage of higher ed. Paid parking- those of you in major metro areas know what a boon this is. Totally different part of medicine, he will be trained in all things related to cardiac diseases, arrhythmias, medicines, symptoms, treatments etc. He has been a women's health specialist for the last 5 years, previously he was med-surg/oncology. We're elated, Hubby has wanted to return to university to eventually become an advance practice RN. Now he's finally getting an opportunity!

Son #1~ Did get the job at the ballpark after all. He's worked two days & loves it, although attendance has been very low due to cold nights. We'll see how he handles it when it's 90 F and the drunks are yelling and obnoxious and the kids throw up everywhere. GF has just returned home from the hospital after yet another cardiac cath & various blood tests. Some rejection in the heart, but not much & her kidneys are exhausted & cranky. They plan to attend his prom in May.

Daughter~ was confirmed last Sat. April 7th on the Great Vigil of Easter. It was a beautiful and moving ceremony, my favorite of the entire church calandar except maybe choral tenebrae. We managed to buy her a new dress & new shoes, and have her hair cut, all courtesy of the wonderful & understanding Grand-Mere. Merci grandmere! No BF, or so she says. Daughter does write fanfic based on manga & anime characters with a GF. The trip with her church youth group is still a go at this point despite the iffy funding.

Son #2~ continues to chug along his merry way- perennially cheerful, smiley and helpful. Also becoming a serious wiseacre in his old age. Not that I'm surprised. He and the Hubby have big bathroom plans: replace the insides of the toilet (Son's favorite!) and fiddle with the showerhead & related plumbing. He sang at nearly every service last week, but says he liked tenebrae best too despite a sore throat. This Link is a clip from the Dominican Priory in DC during tenebrae this last week.

Updates

Husband is in the middle of juggling applications at two different hospitals on opposite ends of our area. One is in his medical subspecialty (obstetrics & women's health), one is completely different (cardiac step down & icu). Each location has good points & bad ones, but one has vastly better benefits. The other, though, has two employees husband has worked with previously & respects. Don't know how it will fall out, but the situation where he is currently employed isn't improving, it has deteriorated. So we're on tenterhooks at the moment.

Son #1 continues to muddle along. The ballpark job has hit a snag. He thought the orientation was tonight, but we arrived & the place was empty. Not a soul. He says he tried calling twice to confirm the date and time, but never was able to speak to a live human, only phone trees. Poor guy is disappointed. We'll try & talk to a human tomorrow. OTOH, one of his buddies is trying to line him up with a part time job with a lawn service. We'll see how things shake out. On the college apps- two acceptances, one yet to hear from. We're holding off on decisions until we hear about financial aid packages from each place. GF is sick with stomach flu, but otherwise ok. She's in school part time & trying to hang tough. I'm attempting to get them to decide whose prom they're going to attend.

Daughter continues to hang tough with geometry. She volunteers at the county animal shelter & is thinking about getting a summer job at the mall, hopefully at her favorite anime store. *eye roll* On Easter Eve, the Great Vigil (April 7th) she will be confirmed at our church & we're planning a big family party to celebrate on Easter Sunday. The big trip her Sunday School class has been planning *snort* has hit that eternal snag- $$$. Supposedly airfares have risen dramatically in the last few weeks, eating into the budget. My problem is that the adults planning this little escape have known for months where the kids wanted to go & ought not have waited so long to pay deposits etc. Now the kids may have to completely retrench & choose another location. I'm angry about the whole situation, it has been mismanaged from the word go & there's no one to blame but the adults in charge, but the kids will pay for the lack of advance planning & guidance.

Son #2 has been accepted into the IBMYP magnet program in our school district. This is the same program Daughter is on the tail end of. It is an excellent program & we respect it highly. He's very very excited. Some of his friends have been accepted as well & he's looking forward to trading homework horror stories & having some of the same teachers Daughter had. Musically he continues to sing & play piano. No voice change yet. There's a new male choir member at church who sings tenor all the way to alto (& beautifully too). He & the Son have traded laughs a time or two, as he started as a boy soprano just as Son is now.

Advent Blog Tour

Today is my day on the Advent Blog tour, brought to you by Marg and Kailana.



First Christmas Memory~

I think I must have been two or three at the most. It was actually Christmas Eve. I wore heavy footed pajamas and I was chilled even so. I went down the stairs about a quarter or a third of the way. Far enough down the stairs to be able to look through the bannister into the enormous livingroom on the left. Holding a spindle in each hand I learned my head against them and peered out into the livingroom.

This room had four large windows, two each on two walls. Moonlight poured into the livingroom, reflected off of the snow outside. "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below," (Clement Moore) The entire room was bathed in silvery light. It was a magical and powerful sight. Truly. The tree, which according to my mother, was always freshly cut from the woods around the house by my grandfather, loomed tall and green and dark against the wall. Presents flowed out from beneath the tree like a wave spreads up onto the beach. I stood surveying the moonlight and the tree until my teeth chattered and my feeet were numb. My grandparents never believed in interior heating other than what came from the fireplace.

“Santa is real.” I remember thinking that, despite being so young. I suppose I must have been doubtful and this sight verified the scene. And yet, what struck me most, what touched my heart most deeply, was the moonlight gleaming through the windows. Not the presents. Not really even the tree. The magical moonlight and the snow.


Christmas Traditions Chez Bookwormom~


The primary one has always been midnight mass. No matter how young the kids were , we’ve always gone to the midnight service. Once the children were in school we began allowing them to open one gift after we returned home from the service. Santa gifts are unwrapped, gifts from us and from other family members are wrapped. All stocking stuffers are from Santa.

When the kids were really little, we didn’t let them go down to the livingroom until 7 am. Mostly to allow their parents a brief nap before facing the day again. Now that they’re older, they can go out to the tree and play with anything that isn’t wrapped plus their stocking stuffers.


What else? Outside lights and decor are usually put up the first week of December. Because we have real trees, it isn’t usually bought and decorated until mid December and will be left up until Epiphany (after the 12 days of Christmas, Jan. 6th I believe). Some years, depending on the quality of the tree, we leave it up through daughter’s birthday (Jan. 9th).

We don’t really have hard and fast Christmas dinner menus. Mostly the usual American holiday fare. Some years I bake cheesecakes instead of pies. Some years I make several tartes. There’s always fresh cranberry relish and fruit stuffing. One thing is that there will only be turkey at one holiday meal, Thanksgiving or Christmas but never both. Personally, I prefer a succulent beef roast with a ton of bernaise sauce and garlic mashed potatoes, but that’s just me.

Favorite Music

In dulci jubilo

Another favorite piece. This one is Gabriel's Message.

Religious Intolerance for kids

Disclaimer

I don't normally discuss faith or religious matters here other than passing references to activities we participate in at our church. Other than the following rant I do not intend to discuss religion at all. However, this really has me angry and I simply will not let this matter pass without comment.


The Left Behind franchise has made gobs of cash promoting evangelical Christian viewpoints initially through books marketed at adults and subsequently products aimed at children and then branched out into other items, including PC games.

I will not cite specific news articles, other than to list this search page. The Left Behind folks' rebuttal is here.

They claim, erroneously, "Because our game is a ‘strategy' game, never does a player click a key or press a button to actuate a first-person violent act. Instead, control is managed by the player in much the same way as an animated chess game would be". Of course the fact that the player must initiate character movements and decisions is sidestepped. In other words, violence is ok if the 'game' initiates it, thus neatly relieving the player from responsiblity? The player is manipulated into a situation wherein, in order to 'win' s/he must kill the bad guys. Bad guys being anyone who isn't Christian or won't convert to Christianity.

They also state (cited at the link above), "In the initial missions, there is little emphasis on physical warfare and gamers are introduced to powers of influence which result in a battle for the hearts and minds of people. As missions progress, there are no ‘objectives' to cause war physically. However, physical warfare results when the player is required to defend against the physical forces of evil;" In other words, in the beginning (am I the only one to find that word choice ironic?) players are duped into thinking this is a violence free pc game aimed at proselytizing the unchurched and/or spreading Christian virtues, morality and beliefs. However, if one reads the statement the game basically manipulates the player into religious based warfare, conveniently disguised as "good against evil".

My biggest problem with this game is it apparently has players form a Christian militia. Any character that does not convert to Christianity ends up dead. If the player opts to play the anti-Christian side, there is no way to win the game. Since when is it ok to kill non Christians? Since when is forced conversion ok? Are we condoning a game that portrays the death of nonChristians in a warlike life and death scenario as desirable?

If this game was made with Muslims as the primary 'good guy force' with forced conversions and death to those who refuse, would that be acceptable? If this was a Jewish game where non Jews were forced to convert or be killed make it ok? You can be sure that if there is a pc or console game out there that depicts religious warfare and the killing or forced conversions of Christians, there likely would be a huge outcry. Then again, who knows? Maybe these games already exist. If this was an atheist game where believers were forced to renounce their faith and belief, would that be ok? Isn't there enough religiously based warfare going on in this world already? Aren't the people of this world divided and violent enough? Can they claim this is 'entertainment' with a straight face?

The head of the Left Behind game group has some relevant and other- jaw dropping- things to say about the future of Christian gaming here. I find it quite interesting that the article says, "What publishers need to consider about developing their first 'inspirational' game is to be careful that subtle changes in design or game play don't violate doctrine. They need to make games that include doctrine supported by all Christian faiths.. games should focus on modeling positive behavior through prayer, worship and caring for people. If this is done in an engaging manner that is fun, mainstream America and the world will embrace it."

I can't believe that "all Christian faiths" support or endorse the ideals laid out in this game. Again, from this article, written by Troy Lydon of Left Behind Games "quality Christian video games is a means to reach the lost; those without hope or faith, who long for someone to care about them..games should focus on modeling positive behavior through prayer, worship and caring for people." The Left Behind game does not achieve these lofty goals and will do much to undermine efforts to make peace with those who disgree with us.

City of Joy; Dominique LaPierre

The copy I have was published in 1985 by Warner Books. Dominique Lapierre is a well known French author who wrote this book based on experiences he and his wife had in the late 1970's and early 1980's in India. Half of all royalties from the sale of this book support various charities LaPierre patronizes in India. Details here. The movie version of City of Joy seems to be an adaptation that may have caused some controversy at the time it was released (1992), but I didn't research any background information.

Alternately heartwarming and horrifying City of Joy is the tale of a Polish priest who becomes a solitary missionary in the slums of Calcutta. The book alternates Father Stephan's accounts of his adaptation to daily life among the poorest of the poor and the story of a peasant family scrapping for a meagre existance alongside thousands of others.

Here, the dreams are of sufficient food to feed everyone at least once a day- twice a day makes you rich. In Fr. Stephan's world, 'moving on up' means off the sidewalk into a shanty. No matter how vermin infested or rickety, a shack wards off the worst of the monsoon or provides shade during the oven-like summer heat. Hope means you don't become chronically ill until you can provide a living for your children.

Yet, ultimately, this is an uplifting book. For me, the Beatitudes are more vivid, more profound than they were a few days ago. Above all, City of Joy inspires thankfulness and hope. Hope that people reach out their hands to one another with offers of food, job skills, adequate shelter, medicine.

One issue immediately brought to my mind was the efficacy of international handouts (food, medicine, etc) for the destitute. No one argues that the wealthy have an obligation to the destitute. However, one can quibble over the method and the results. In this case, Africa immediately came to my mind, but the discussion could be made over many situations around the world.

I have no answers. That the destitute shall be among humanity forever seems to be a given. That each of us is obliged to help as much as we can in our corner of the world is also understood.

“God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try”Mother Theresa