My favourite favourite website
I’ve been meaning to post about this one for far too long now. I keep seeing all these great posts and going ooh I need to write about that but then I get distracted and the moment passes. But I procrastinate no longer!
This website is herlefteyeislazy.blogspot.com but changes name semi-regularly, currently it appears to be KILL! CUT! KEEP!
It’s all in Swedish (I think) so I don’t get the descriptions, but there’s not many, just visual gorgeousness.
So what inspired me to finally get off my virtual ass and start this post was this picture:
Free All Political Prisoners
Goodness there’s so much happening in support of those arrested last Monday, it’s just awesome to see. Go over to Aotearoa Indymedia and see all the reports from recent demos. Quite a lot of video too which is nice (cause I can see my friends and give them virtual cuddles!). And there’s been more international solidarity from Germany and Greece!
The recent Civil Rights Defence website has been set up (click on that picture up there), which will have all the news, events and how to support. Including how to sonate to the support and defence fund. Remember all these crew not only have to pay their way through the court system but they’ve been denied bail so they can’t work to pay their bills. So we all need to pitch in and help with their rent and power bills etc.
We’re working on another demonstration for Melbourne next Saturday. I was hyping up all the cool kids at the zine fair yesterday to come along, so you all should too. And if you don’t live in Melbourne look up where all the other events are being held. If there’s not one in your town, start one.
In the Kulin Nations (Melbourne) we will be holding a solidarity rally on the 27th of October.At Federation Square at 12 noon.
This rally will also be a condemnation of the 4 settler grubbyments that refuse to acknowledge and affirm our rights as Indigenous peoples to exist, to self determination and to sovereignty.Our solidarity will also be extended to our brothers and sisters in Great Turtle Island, as this phenomena of state suppression on Indigenous peoples is nothing new and still a common daily occurrence around the world.
Stop the State Repression of Indigenous Peoples
Solidarity with the Urewera 17! Free them now!
Free Political Prisoners/Drop the Charges
Drop the Charges against Lex Wotoon NOW
Free Tame Iti NOW
Drop the Charges against Shawn Bryant NOW
Free Leonard Peltier NOW
Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou Ake Ake Ake
Always Was Always Will Be Aboriginal Land.
Doing it for the kids
For those that want to be kept up to date with what’s going on with the Uruwera 17/18 (depending on which report you read) I suggest you keep an eye on Indymedia. The editors at AIMC are doing a fabulous job of keeping everything update, especially with details of solidarity actions.
Just a couple of things I want to point out.
A fighting fund as been set up. At this stage, donations can be made to a defence fund organised by Global Peace & Justice Auckland. Identify the donation as being for the defence fund. 38-9000-0099726-00 GLOBAL PEACE & JUSTICE AKLD.
And those that want to send messages of support direct to detainees can send stuff to lettersforprisoners[at]riseup[dot]net which will printed out and distributed to arrestees. Obviously don’t write anything that could negatively impact on you or anyone else!
Finally, I think the event that upset me the most from Monday was the armed offenders squad searching a bus full of kids on their way to kohanga. This was handled appallingly and I think at the very least those officers involved should be personally apologising to those kids.
There is a hikoi been organised to support the kids and call for protocol to ensure that it never happens again.
Kia Ora koutou katoa nga Kohanga Reo o Mataatua me Tauranga Moana.
He mihi nui. He mihi mahana, he mihi aroha.
Nga mihi ki o tatou mate kua huri ki tua o te Arai.
Tena koutou nga Kohanga Reo whakahirahira o Mataatua-Taurnaga Moana mai nga Kuri a Wh?rei ki Tihirau.
He panui tenei kia koutou kei te watea. Kia huihui mai tatou ki te tautoko te Hikoi a nga Kohanga Reo o te wharua o Ruatoki . I runga i nga pahetanga I utainga ki nga mokopuna I te wa e haere ana ratou ki nga Kohanga Reo
I kite koutou I runga I te pouaka whakaata nga mahi weriweri a nga pirihimana e patu ana nga wairua o a tatou mokopuna nohinohi.
This is an invitation to all Kohanga Reo in Mataatua-Tauranga Moana to come and support the Kohanga Reo from Te P?rei Kohu Purapura on their
hikoi through Whakatane township, through the Whakatane District Council Office and on to the Whakatane Police Station.DATE – Tomorrow – Friday 19 October 2007 in Whakatane
Te Ururoa Flavell , Member of Parliament Waiariki will be at this hikoi
TIME TO ASSEMBLE: 9:00am at the carpark behind the Strand (near the Warehouse). Hikoi begins – 9:30am. If your Kohanga Reo have uniforms please let your children wear them.
TE WAIATA: “He Taonga Taku Mokopuna
Taku Mokopuna Korikori e……………….The purpose of this hikoi has arisen out of the way the Armed Offenders squad stopped the vehicles taking our mokopuna to the 4 Kohanga Reo in Ruatoki and also the School children at the Ruatoki and Tawera Kura.
The Kohanga Reo in Te P?rei Kohu Purapura are highlighting the health and well-being of our mokopuna ‘Nga Taumata Whakahirahira’ MANA ATUA kaua e tukino nga mokopuna. HE TAONGA TE MOKOPUNA
The desired outcome out of this ‘Hikoi’ is that our mokopuna will never be subjected to this type of traumatic experience again and that it be legislated that vehicles transporting Kohanga Reo mokopuna or school children never be stopped, and that they be allowed to continue to the Kohanga Reo, or Kura, where the children can then disembark and be placed in a safe haven, before the vehicles are searched and the Adults responsible be questioned.
You are welcome to make banners/placards for this hikoi. If the words could be in Maori and in English so there are no excuses that they do not understand the message we are trying to get across ‘Ki te Motu.’
This hikoi is very important to inform the whole World how our little children were treated during the recent siege at Ruatoki and that it must never ever happen again.
Solidarity to Aotearoa
Normally, I’d be giving Australians a hard time for living in a police state, but after hearing the news this morning, it definitely sounds like New Zealand should be getting that criticism.
In a nationally coordinated raid, Police have searched residences across the country, made at least 16 arrests and many more have been taking in for questioning. Charges laid so far have reportedly been gun-related, but Police have said they will be looking to lay more.
Given that there is a mildly lengthy process that needs to be gone through to lay charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, it is likely that any charges laid under that act wouldn’t be able to be made immediately.
Allegedly police have gone to these extreme lengths because they believe a network known as ‘Freedom Fighters’ has been training Tino Rangatiratanga, environmental and peace activists in military techniques for potential planned nation-wide attacks. Smiths Dream anyone?
The evidence that the police have allegedly comes from under cover operatives and informants, as well as electronic surveillance.
Two well-known anarchist flats; the Necropolis in Auckland and 128 in Wellington, were also raided and arrests have been made.
I firstly want to extend my biggest aroha and solidarity to all the crew who got their lives temporarily turned upside down this morning. Having the Police raid your house, whether any arrests are made or not, is a fucking pain in the ass. And it can be really scary, especially if you’ve got kids around, which I understand some of the houses involved did. So kia kaha you lot, and get some good lawyers. This one could be really fun in court, find representation who gets it.
Secondly, I want to thoroughly condemn what has happened. We always warned that these laws would be used to target activists and despite repeated assurances from the government that is wouldn’t, this is exactly what we have seen today.
It appears that the police have used this as an excuse to bring just about everyone on their watch-lists ie people who take an active role in opposing an unjust world, in for questioning, or arrested them. I am aware that there have been other houses visited by police without warrants, so it seems to be wider than what will be reported by the propoganda press too.
Let me make this clear to anyone reading this who doesn’t get just how fucked up this situation is. Standing up for a world without war, justice for indigenous people, justice for the planet DOES NOT make you a terrorist. Getting a warrant from a judge and dressing a bunch of coppers up in their war gear DOES NOT mean that the people concerned are guilty. This is called the criminalisation of dissent.
For those of us in Melbourne, we will be standing up in solidarity tomorrow.
Come and demonstrate your solidarity with our brother & sister activists in Aotearoa, and show your disgust at state repression and the criminalisation of dissent.
Consulate-General of New Zealand
Suite 2, North Level 3 350 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3001
11am Tuesday the 16th of October
Tautoko atu a wairua, a hinengaro, a tinana hoki
Ka Whawhai tonu matou ake ake ake !!!!!
For those of you that want a bit of history about the recent moves to make New Zealand a Police State, check out the Greens Campaign Page. There’s heaps of good info on there including info about the Terrorism Suppression Act .
And for the latest up-to-date info without the corporate hype, check Aotearoa Indymedia.
Maruapula
Maruapula:
- a Setswana word for ‘clouds of rain’
- a collaborative effort of people crafting for the sake of those in need.
One of the best things about the internet is the ability for people to collaborate on an international level to make a real difference for people in need.
One of the awesome people on Craftster has started up a Etsy store to raise money.
I’m planning on opening up a store on Etsy in which different people can donate crafts, and 100% of profits , will go to families in need. Specifically, the focus would be on families in 3rd world countries, with an emphasis on Africa.
The specifics:
Anybody who would be willing to donates art or crafts to the store would contact me and send their crafts this way along with a suggestion of what they think that the craft is worth. I understand that some people may think it would be better to keep the item themselves and then send it out when it is bought, but if I’m running this shop, I can’t risk that. (This being, of course, because somebody could flake out on me after the item is bought and then the store would have negative feedback.)
I will take pictures of the item and post it. If it sells, I’ll take care of getting it sent out immediately.
I’ll keep, on the site, a running tally of what has sold for the month and how much for. I’ll also have up what the money is going for that month. Anybody who donates an item, or anybody who requests, will be put on a list to receive a newsletter every month, that will go into
detail about what EXACTLY the money has gone to. (For example, a milk cow for a family in Uganda, books for a library for children in India, etc…)
So, if anybody is interested, I’d love to hear from you!
The store is here and it’s currently empty so all my crafty buddies out there might want to consider donating something! And of couse you should all check back soon to see what great products you can buy!
Knitty Willy
In keeping with this weeks theme of crafty body parts, you simply must watch this short vid called “Public Art, Private Parts”. Not only is this a great wee story, but this video is superbly produced. I absolutely adore the animation!
Props glittyknittykitty
Bikey loveliness
Get ready for it.
Imagine this is silver, with a baby seat on the back and a basket on the front.
Oh yeah!
Boycott Warner Bros
Warner Bros president of production Jeff Robinov has made a new decree that “We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead”.
Women respond:
We are no longer watching movies made by Warner Bros
Despite strong evidence pointing to the fact that it is indeed 2007, various Warner Bros producers think that having strong female roles in their films is bad business. Well, news for you ‘brothers’, maybe it’s got something to do with you making CRAP MOVIES.
Independent film 4eva!
Props DHD
Bennelong Time
I heard the rumours that people have been moving in with their friends in Bennelong, just so they can vote against Howard. I can imagine how that would be a satisfying act of democratic activism. I have a relative that lives in Bennelong, but I can’t vote anyway…
I like how this video reinforces why giving the Greens your primary vote is such a sensible idea. Especially for those people out there who still believe there’s a difference between the Liberals and Labor.
Props Typing is not Activism
Funny Phallii
I always find it intensely satisfying seeing work that blatantly points out the connections between military conquest and man’s obsessive with his penis and its performance.
So I just love the latest work from Zoë Walker and Neil Bromwich which is currently on show in London. Their large floral inflatable cannon willies are simply gorgeous. They are just asking to be jumped all over, played with, tickled and head butted. Anything but taken seriously. Anything but fearing them.
I love it.
If you’re over that way and want to go check it out, go visit:
1,000,000 mph Project Space
6 October-4 November 2007 59 Old Bethnal Green Road
London E2 6QA map
Props Cool Hunting