I spent the weekend in Hamilton, at a UniQ Conference. There was lots of the usual debauchery but it was also very political, far more so than usual. Probably has something to do with the election in November ( Read more... )

I’m not particularly fond of Kerre Woodham at the best of times, but her latest article (which you can read here, if you're so inclined) is just too atrocious to be ignored. Which is a pity, because its topic - child abuse in New Zealand - is an important one. And I agree 100% that there is too much child abuse on our shores ( Read more... )

A friend just sent me a link to A Collection of Essays on Feminism and Sexism in the Anarchist MovementIt's got an essay (Listen Anarchist: Sexism in the Movement! on p51) that we wrote, from way back in the days when I used to identify as an anarchist. Just reread it and it's not too terrible, although I cringe at our constant use of 'womyn' and ( Read more... )

A couple of friends recently pointed me in the direction on a new webgame, Spent, that's appeared online. It's quick and definitely worth checking out. Although really the people who should be playing it are National politicians, not dirty lefties like myself ( Read more... )

I'm lazy and don't feel like writing. So just go read this post about the French elections (over at Lenin's Tomb, a random blog) instead.

Also... Tony Blair speaks French (with a very English accent, hehe). Although he's admittedly just mouthing standard pro-Sarko, pro-France, glory-to-Britian drivel.

Yeah, yeah. I know Ségolène Royal wasn't that great. But she still would've been better than fucking Sarko. So now I am muttering about daft and rubbishy French politics, even though I'm not quite sure why I care.

Map I nicked off Le Monde:

( Read more... )

You know, Switzerland doesn't have a minimum wage. I'm pretty sure most cantons do, but there isn't any federal law. (I was watching a thing on TV about it last night and - unless I misunderstood, but I don't think I did - people were talking about the importance to putting a minimum wage in place, not about raising one already there.) Also, you ( Read more... )

I know this is old news, but Hack Circle is going to be destroyed and I don't know if I'll see it again, because Christchurch City Council wants to stick a road through it. Not only is this incrediably nasty, it's also infuriatingly dumb ( Read more... )

Translation below ( Read more... )

Last sunday, a group of New Zealand animal rights activists broke into a factory farm, rescuing 20 hens in an open raid. Slightly old news, but that doesn't make it less cool ( Read more... )