Jay is Games Casual Gameplay
Often refered to as JIG Casual Gameplay this is “simply the best selection of (mostly) free casual games you will find on the Web today.†In the year or so that I have been reading JIG I have watched it grow from a one person blog to a group project that has recently completed and announced the winners of the first ever JIG game design competition. There is a real sense of community over at JIG, with reader’s submitting games for review, guest blogging spots and a comment section that provides help for those of us who get stuck on the simplest of games.
Black Gay Blogger
On January 25 2005, after deciding that New Year’s resolutions are “tres gauche,” Karsh (author of bgb.com) came up with a list of 101 things to do before 25th September 2007 i.e. 1001 days after the list was completed. This list covers e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Karsh really wants to do it all and judging by the number of items he has crossed off he might just get to achieve 101 in 1001. Oh and I can’t mention this blog without mentioning the design – it is beautiful!
tiffany b brown
Tiffany b Brown is the eponymous blogger behind this fantastic web design blog. She describes it as her “personal playground [a] place where [she] experiment[s] with web markup and programming languages….” To me it is a very useful learning tool for all things Internet/Blog/Site design related. (her other blog Black Feminism is equally fantastic)
Lynne D Johnson’s Diary
I don’t consider it an overstatement to refer to Lynne D Johnson as the best Hip Hop blogger in the blogosphere. Prior to listening to the SXSW Blogging While Black Revisted session (of which both Lynne and Tiffany were panelists) and hearing Lynne speak of the abuse she has been subjected to because she was a female Hip-Hop blogger I had no idea how prevalent sexism was within the Hip-Hop blogosphere. Her account of how she handled this abuse was truly inspirational especially after going through her archives later on and actually reading the extent of the attack.
Avalon Star
Possibly the best blog design I have ever seen. It is almost hard to believe that this blog is based on K2. Everything about this site is amazing, even the categories, which according to Bryan Veloso (the man behind the blog) “aren’t like your mother’s category archives!” he does not tell a lie, each category is like a whole new blog. Though it was the site design that won me over, I also enjoy reading this blog because Bryan has a very friendly, conversational style. I particularly liked this post which touches on an issue that am sure affects many bloggers: how to explain to non-blogger friends what we bloggers do.
And that concludes my Blog Day 2006, so till next year – Happy Blog Day.
]]>In the same week that the people of Liberia (and African’s everywhere) celebrate the country’s (and the continent’s) first woman president, Rwanda leads the world in women’s political representation. According to a Hansard Society report, (Women at the Top 2005: Changing Numbers, Changing Politics?) 48.8% of all politicians in Rwanda are women. Mozambique’s figure of 34.8% places them third.
Closer to home, not only does the United Kingdom have to contend falling out of the top 50 (19.8% places them at 51) but they also have to deal with the realisation that they have been out ranked by Iraq (31.5%) and Tunisa.
The report which examines the presence and role of women in political life today is published on Thursday.
[Via The Guardian]
]]>Please dispose of feminine hygiene products in the blue bins provided
This was not the first time I had seen this particular notice, nor was it the first time I had seen notices bearing messages of a similar nature. On this occasion, however, I actually took time not just to read the notice but to think about. I was overcome by a sense of disappointment and to some extent outrage.
I have nothing against notices that urge people to keep public spaces in order, in fact, I am all for them, especially in public toilets. What I am against is the compulsory sanitisation not just of women’s bodies and our emissions but even the language used to describe/discuss our bodies and emissions.
The term “feminine hygiene products� is apparently supposed to refer to tampons and pads (sanitary towels) but the writers of such notices, for reasons only known to them choose to use ambiguous euphemisms. It would undoubtedly seem absurd to them if I turned up every Saturday night with my week’s supply of empty shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and body lotion bottles, yet these are all “feminine hygiene products.�
It fills me with despair that even in a room that is exclusively for the use of women, we can not mention those things that affect us; those things that go to the core of our womanhood.
It is no wonder then, that when the discussion of our “feminine hygiene products� is taken outside of those women only spaces and brought to a wider audience the euphemisms, metaphors and representations go from the ambiguous to the ridiculous. There are two such instances that come to mind, both relate to televised advertisement of pads and tampons.
The first advertising method is often if not always used by various manufacturers of pads to prove how absorbent their product is. It is usually a split screen showing product A (the inferior, less absorbent pad) on one side and product B (the advertisers new and improved product) on the other. A blue liquid is poured onto each product and then a voice instructs us to watch how the blue liquid seeps and spreads all over inferior product A yet in the in case of product B the liquid is contained in the middle of the pad. The overall aim being to prove that product B is far better. The underlying aim however, is to sell us a product without actually having to delve into the so-called yucky-ness of the matter. At least that’s what I think the underlying aim is, because I can not imagine why else they would chose to use a blue liquid when we are all “supposed� to know that the real use of the product is to soak up blood, which I am certain is always red.
I am sure the people who came up with the “blue liquid� idea would say that decency and television licensing standards dictate they use blue as opposed to red. This to me however is bullshit especially when one thinks of the countless times blood and gore are depicted on television.
Everybody knows that we do not emit blue fluid from our body. Any woman who went to change her pad and saw blue stains would possibly die of shock. Likewise any man who cut himself playing football or doing other such manly things only to see blue fluid ooze out would possibly die of shock. It is unnatural; yet what is natural can not be spoken, can not be shown on television. Heaven forbid that the world should know that women bleed red blood! I find this disturbing.
On the other end of the scale are those advertisements, usually for tampons, that show women who are supposedly “on their period� doing all sorts of vigorous activities such as sky-diving and rollerblading. Apparently the power of the product being advertised is so great that not only does it soak up our blood in a discreet manner; it also transforms us into the bionic-woman!
Perhaps these particular adverts are done to empower women? Perhaps they are done to show us and the world that bleeding once a month is not so bad. This is all well and good but I know I never said it was a bad thing! Of course there are some women who experience pain and discomfort but, and I only speak for myself, I would never say I hate my menstrual cycle. It is natural and it shows that my body is working as it should be.
There is so much more I could say on the topic but I leave it at this; a while back a condom manufacturer ran a televised advertising campaign. It started off with a close up of one person dressed in all white in a funny white hat, the camera zoomed out and you saw a few more people all in white. The camera then zoomed so far out that there were a million people all running around. The last scene was taken from such a wide angle that the millions of people no longer looked like people. Instead they looked like tiny white specks all huddled together running around. It was at this point that you realised that collectively they were a (rather accurate) visual representation of seminal fluid filling up a condom. There was not a blue fluid in sight.
Why?
]]>Firstly I am concerned by our national media’s obsession with the personal aspects of Ms Kibaki’s life. This is not to say that I am against coverage of the Kibaki’s. Be it to curb our voyeuristic tendencies or to give us greater insight into another aspect of our leader’s life – it is good to be kept informed. What is not right is when our national media resort to tabloid style journalism.
Kenya does not have a wide range of written press to cater for all audiences. The written news that the majority of Kenyans read, on all matters global and national, is provided predominantly by two newspapers – The Nation and The Standard. We do not have the “luxuryâ€? of choosing whether to opt for the tabloid or broadsheet version of a story. When any newspaper holds as much power as that held by Kenya’s big two I feel they need to be responsible in what they cover and how they cover it.
Most of their coverage on this recent issue regarding Mrs Kibaki revolves around how she dealt with the level of noise emanating from her neighbour’s/tenant’s house. Her neighbour/tenant happens to be outgoing World Bank country leader Mr Makhtar Diop.
Mrs Kibaki has already challenged the accuracy of their information. The manner in which she challenged the media has also been the subject of debate. Mrs Kibaki is said to have “stormed” the media offices and there have been allegations that she slapped a journalist.
At present there is so much she said/he said I do not know who to believe. I can however speak confidently on two things, if Mrs Kibaki did slap the journalist then this aspect needs to be dealt with appropriately. Secondly this is not the first time that our press have got it wrong.
I recall a few months ago when Kenyan bloggers and readers of Thinker’s Room spoke out against the Nation’s decision to print without sufficient credit an item taken from Thinker’s blog. On more than one occassion people the media was labelled as unreliable and unethical, quite a few said they were not suprised by the actions of the press.
Further to this, if Lucy did behave in manner that was inappropriate then surely our nation’s media should be raising the level of debate and focusing on the implications of her behaviour and how it affects Kenyans.
- How does Mrs Kibaki’s behaviour affect us and the daily struggles that we go through?
- Will her reaction affect relationships between Kenya and the World Bank?
- Will Senegal (Diop’s country of origin) sever all ties because a member of our country was (allegedly) rude and offensive towards him?
- Should we be reviewing our Constitution and setting guidlines on the roles and responsibilities of “First Families”?
- What exactly is the correct cause of action when dealing with noisy neighbours and how many Kenyans are aware of their rights in relation to this?
This , a long with questions raised by Kenyan Pundit are a few examples of some of the things that I would like to see in our papers.
Writing this has reminded me of a time when Tony Blair’s son was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The Guardian an English broadsheet paper raised the level debate while most of the tabloids opted to focus on the fact that Blair’s son told the police his name was Mickey Mouse.
The Nation and The Standard’s preoccupation with whether Mrs Kibaki was wearing pyjamas at the time is in my view very similar to the tabloid’s Mickey Mouse approach.
The pyjama aspect leads me on to something else that disturbs me about this anti-Lucy sentiment. This is not the first time that Mrs Kibaki has come under attack for how she looks and dresses.
In my view Mrs Kibaki has an “every woman� look to her. We may not like the fact that Mrs Kibaki’s weave is not cool. Or that she owns one of those buttock hugging woollen cardigans with brash embroidery. Or that in 2005 she still wears those patent leather “pumps� complete with the stick-on bows. Some of us may still be wondering why she bothers to razor shave her eyebrows only to redraw them (twice as thick) with a charcoal coloured pencil. We may never know the answer to this one. What I do know is that most if not all Kenyan families have an aunt, mother, sister, daughter and/or cousin who proudly leave the house sporting the Lucy Kibak look. I also have a sneaky suspicion that if Mrs Kibaki did get a make over there would be many who accuse of her misspending our money.
It’s not just Mrs Kibaki’s look that is under attack. The way she speaks has been the subject of many jokes. Apparently Mrs Kibaki’s “shrubbing� is one that amuses many of us. I have failed to find an English equivalent for the word “shrubbing�. The best I can do is offer a comparison. In the same way that Japanese people, owing to the nature and structure of their language pronounce “L� as “R� and vice-versa when speaking English, so to does Mrs Kibaki.
Laughing at people who shrub is common in Kenya, yet so many Kenyans shrub and many of those who do shrub, are conscious and at times embarrassed by this. While on the surface it may appear as harmless fun, underlying this ‘humour’ is the racist, classist, elitist notion that an inability to speak and pronounce English like the Queen means that you are backward, illiterate and stupid.
Mrs Kibaki, with her weave and her shrubs in many ways embodies the Kenyan woman.
So while we may laugh and ridicule Mrs Kibaki for her appearance and her ‘bad’ English we are effectively laughing at ourselves. In our jest we reinforce, encourage and perpetuate racist, classist and elitist stereotypes that so many of our people have been fighting against.
Lastly, there has been mention of her husband, our President, Mwai Kibaki being told to take ‘charge of his family’. Am I the only who is incensed by this blatantly sexist and chauvinistic attitude? When a few male politicians were caught kerb-crawling on Nairobi’s Koinange Street I do not recall anyone calling for their wives to step in and take charge of their family. Apparently, there are some who feel that President Kibaki’s inability to control his woman is a sign that he is not a good leader. Excuse me? Since when was a marriage about control?
I am not excusing, defending or encouraging what Mrs Kibaki is alleged to have done or said. I feel very strongly about denying the media their freedom. I also feel strongly about the fact that Mrs Kibaki (allegedly) slapped a reporter. I do not condone violence. I also feel that as Kenya continues to grow and evolve we should examine what we expect from our public figures. But I refuse to be part of those discussions that focus solely on personality, rely on information that may be inaccurate and that is littered with sexist, elitist and often times violent language.
]]>Date: July 30, 2005
Location: TechMart Meeting Center, Santa Clara, CA
Official BlogHer Site: BlogHer.orgThis flagship event is open to all bloggers (yes, including men and beginners) nterested in enhancing their online exposure, learning the latest best practices in blogging, networking with other bloggers, and specifically cultivating the female blogging community.
BlogHer Conference ‘05 will provide an open, inclusive forum to:
1. Discuss the role of women within the larger blog community
2. Examine the developing (and debatable) code of blogging ethics
3. Discover how blogging is shrinking the world and amplifying the voices of women worldwide
A few bloggers have come together and have offered to sponsor those who would like to attend but are unable to afford the registration fee and/or accommodation.
Blogerships are available for those who commit to some live blogging – they are looking for bloggers who can blog the opening and closing in languages other than English and everything in between.
Wouldn’t it be good if we could get a KBW member there to blog this in Kiswahili or any of our other languages? Maitha? There other Kiswahili bloggers out there Ndesanjo? Zainub? Anyone…?
Find out more here: BlogHer and Collaboration
]]>———————-
In my quest to learn more about how African bloggers are viewed in the blogsphere I went on a mass clicking spree. Jumping from blog to blog I found myself at RConversation reading this:
So how do we get more diverse voices into the blogosphere?
I’d like to hear more suggestions from non-white as well as non-American bloggers.
Maybe it is just me, but I was irritated by that question. This isn’t merely asking where are we. It is a question based on the assumption that:
- we don’t exist; and
- we need ‘help’ in being brought into the blogsphere.
I know I am constantly plugging the Kenyan Blog Webring but with good reason. There are currently 36 members blogging from all corners of the globe about a range of issues. Within our small but quickly growing ring we have diversity and more importantly we are already in the blogsphere.
As a black women I know all too well that in many arenas, both offline and online some will want to believe that if they can not see us, we do not exist. In the context of blogs, for as long as google is around nobody has any excuse to label us non-existent.
Having said all this, I also appreciate that we as “other” bloggers need to be proactive in our efforts to get our blogs noticed. With this in mind I continued the random clicking until I reached Pen-Elayne’s blog.
Pen-Elayne has termed March as ‘Estrogen Month‘ and she is giving her readers a “chance to vote on the female bloggers that you believe deserve a wider readership and more linkage.”
I emailed Elayne and used Mshairi’s blog as an example of the amazing contribution that Kenyan women bloggers are making to the blogsphere. Elayne not only responded she also mentioned that she has added the following sites to her Bloglines list under the title Gals in Wating;
…oh and Mama JunkYard 
As you can see we all have ZERO votes. This our chance to change this situation so please get voting and if the blog of your choice is not there – get nominating.
I would love to see the following added to her list;
The above is just an example…there are so many more.
Thanks to Elayne I have learnt that “the next time some guy asks you where all the female bloggers are”, I should tell them What She Said.
————–
Voting
I am still learning but according to the latest post at Elayne’s she says:
- We should cast our votes in her comment section. (I just put mine under the latest post)
- When casting votes we need to say why we like a particular blog. ” People reading your comments are much likelier to take to a blog if you tell us a bit about it and what attracts you to it”
“it is not always clear whether the blogger is male or female”.
As I read all this, I found myself thinking back the days of the Bronte’s, when writing was a deemed to be a man’s thing and the only way for a woman writer to succeed was by assuming a male pseudonym. To be honest I didn’t even have to think that far; two fairly recent events have led me to wonder that that perhaps some of our African women bloggers have deliberately assumed androgynous blog identities.
The first event takes me back to the days of ‘Wakili’. Wakili , which is Kiswahili for lawyer, was a handle I created for the purposes of interacting on a Kenyan discussion forum. Most of the time other members mistook me for a man especially since I engaged in discussions that were perceived to be topics for the men i.e anything that fell outside of shopping and pregnancy.
Over the years the forum became increasingly anti-female. Women contributors were (still are) subjected to abuse especially when they ‘trespassed’ into the male arena of politics, law and other seemingly intellectual debates. If a woman raised an objection to an issue that was considered male only, some of the members chose to attack her womanhood as opposed to dealing with the issues she raised.
It was not uncommon for a member to respond with comments such ‘she must be PMS-ing’. Insults like ‘bitch’ and ‘malaya’ (Kiswahili for prostitute) were constantly hurled at women who were deemed to have stepped outside their place. If these insults did not silence us were instructed to ‘find a man’ and ‘get laid’. Some women were clearly considered beyond the cure of a penis and they were referred to as lesbians. At present, quite a few contributors have taken to starting whole topics whose sole purpose is to abuse and degrade women.
Needless to say a lot of women, including myself, got fed up of the verbal violence and opted to leave the forums or remain as lurkers. Thankfully blogs arrived in time to meet my internet addiction.
Unfortunately, while blogs have provided countless of women with our own space to speak as we wish on issues that we consider important; it has done little to change the sexist attitudes of some our men. This is evident in some of the blogs maintained by African men and sadly in some of the comments left behind by men on the blogs maintained by women. This leads me to the second event which comes in the form of a blog entry by a Kenyan male blogger.
The blogger wanted to know why the Kenyan Blog Webring had more female bloggers. According to him,
“I know that women do talk more but if we look at journalism they sure do not write more.”
He did invite the blogsphere to let him know what we thought but at that time I opted not to. I felt there was little more I could say to a person who thinks that Kenyan women bloggers have chosen to blog because we live abroad and have no-one to talk to. Kenyan Pundit did start up a good debate on this.
In light of all this I can’t help but wonder that maybe some of my fellow women bloggers have decided to blog as gender neutral beings because they are tired of being shouted down by men who are uncomfortable with their intellect.
Perhaps there a women bloggers who choose to blog because they can? These women do not want some man to mistake their passion for writing for some unfulfilled need, sexual or otherwise.
It could be that there are African women bloggers who would like a place that allows them to just be without having to deal with the misogynistic views of others.
There are, perhaps, some women who want to rant about something or someone who has enraged them without some man blaming her anger on her biological make up.
I am not really sure why. I am just guessing, thinking aloud.
I do know that behind our names are real women, with real feelings and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that nobody invades our space or attempts to knock our thoughts and views solely on the basis of our sex.
]]>I had imagined that was the end of that, until I came across this blog entry by the same person who had so recently apologised. I wouldn’t have given the post a second thought had it not been for the excerpts below,
O.K., maybe beat up is a bit of an exaggeration but certainly it was a severe reprimanding or something by believe it or not, women from Kenya
The author not content with expressing his suprise at the fact that our assertiveness did not meet his expectations of what constitutues Kenyan lady-like behaviour goes on. He says
something which though contained in one sentence I have split in two. I have done so because, for want of a better phrase, the punch line is a classic.
The sentence starts of with
And I thought they were so nice and friendly…
I am not sure if he is talking about Kenyan women as a whole or if he is talking about those of us involved in the debate.
If it is in reference to those who disagreed with him,
Firstly, I really would like to know on what basis a man who has never met me can conclude that I am/was ‘nice and friendly?’
Secondly, if it is my assertiveness that has led him to believe that I am not/no longer nice and friendly; I would really like to know when assertiveness and niceness became mutually exclusive qualities?
If the author is talking about Kenyan women in general, he has certainly pre-empted my question as to his method of research and/or basis of his conclusion. Apparently he thought, Kenyans were nice and friendly;
just like on TV
I can not begin to respond I shall be back to respond to the issues he raised and why the offended me.