Whew!!

O.K, I'm pretty sure this breaks the record for most photos in a post! Posted below are about 60 photographs from my second new zealand highschool placement, where I teach social studies and health education.

The health class is great. My associate teacher is very gifted, and the students really like her. She has been emphasizing the sociological (as opposed to the bio/physiological) aspects of sexuality in this unit. This of course is right up my ally. My associate was very keen on the gender subversion kit from crimethinc and we have ordered 100 copies of each poster (I understand they have also been added to the ciriculum!!!)

Social studies has also been really interesting. In our topic on human rights we have just finished watching "The Fourth World War", which the students really enjoyed. Next week we will begin a look at different forms of resistance and the various social groups that employ them before moving on to the topic of Amnesty International. There is a "celebrity" faculty member at this school. Ironically for me John Minto, a key organizer of the historic new zealand Springbok Tour (rugby) protests is the physics teacher at this school, with whom I've had the pleasure of meeting.


I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce my flatMATE's (Tom's) new blog: Angry and Articulate. I'll let the site introduce itself if you feel so inclined. I will say that this blog comes HIGHLY recommended, and you may find yourself quickly addicted to the thoughtful insights it provides.

O.K, what is going on with this world? I don't know how much information is comming across in corporate media where you are from; but did you hear that A DANCE PARTY IN UTAH WAS BROKEN UP BY THE NATIONAL GUARD? That's right, on the anniversary of the Kent State shootings, the National Guard broke up a dance pary that had:
- A permit
- $2,000,000 worth of insurance
- security guards confiscating drugs/weapons
- and 3,000 party goers
The party was raided just minutes after it had started, with teargas, beatings and arrests. The coverage by the corporate media in utah was terrible, so if you rely on corporate media for (most) of your news, you may have not even heard about it! First hand accounts describe several guardsmen kicking a 17 year old girl repeatedly in the stomach and targeting those who tried to videotape the incident. Several videocameras were confiscated.

Another very recent violent "intervention" that reeks of fascism in our time, was this anti-war march in Pittsburgh that was attacked vicsiously by the police.

Isn't it supprising that the pope has warned against "do it yourself" religion? I'm sure that the "do it with the ultra-conservative multi-million dollar vatican" breed of religion is fine, but forget that "where two or three are gathered in my name" stuff. Speaking of the "christian" right, has everyone heard about Pat Robbertson of the "Christian" Coalition's call for the assassination of venesuala's leader Hugo Chaves? Now I'm not suprised to hear this from the head of the "Christian" Coalition who has actually said - and I quote

"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

I am hugely supprised however to hear that the WHITE house distanced themselves from the call considering their support of israel's blatent assassinations of blind paraplegics and resisters of their illegal and brutal occupation. Infact most of the foreign policy of the Regan administration of the 1980's was about targeted assassinations and overthrowing democratically elected leaders; like when they overthrew and assassinated Salvador Allende on SEPTEMBER 11TH 1973. Maybe they were jellous of the democratic elections?

But if anyone should be suspicious of anyone it's those vagrants. That's right. Poor people, beggars, shoe-shinners, hobos and their wretched ilk, should be thought of as potential terrorists according to this latest release by the U$ State Department! Someone tell them that poverty is terror!

O.k, the last note I want to leave on, is about scientific experimentation on those still alive!! Now the BBC failed (not suprisingly) to point out that animal liberation/rights activists in the U.K were not responsible for digging up the body in this story, but their victory stands to discredit the inexcusable practice of vivisection and torturing animals. If you think that animal torture is justified in the name of science (except of course on human animals as in nazi germany..) I challenge you to see if your arguements hold up after checking these resources: 1 2 3


Anywho, keep your stick on the ice; we'll post again in a few short days..

John D