Author Archives: Maia

Maia vs WINZ: The Reality

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Maia

My Planning and Assement Module ((That’s WINZ speak for applying for a benefit, it as euphamistically named as you might expect, there was little assessment and less planning.)) appeared to be going well; I really liked the guy who was … Continue reading →

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues, Whatever | 2 Comments

Maia vs. WINZ: The Forms

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Maia

You get a lot of forms after your WR4U seminar, all in a pretty orange folder. In fact that’s the reason you go to WRK4U seminars, because they won’t give you the form to apply for the unemployment benefit unless … Continue reading →

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues | Comments Off on Maia vs. WINZ: The Forms

Maia vs WINZ: WRK4U

Posted on December 20, 2006 by Maia

I’m soon finishing up working at the union, which means I’m going to have to deal with WINZ. ((Normal people would call it the social welfare department, but not in New Zealand)) I’ve decided that the best way to deal … Continue reading →

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues | 15 Comments

Call it 'Love' or call it 'Reason'

Posted on December 10, 2006 by Maia

Recently Foolish Owl posted the lyrics to Love Me I’m a Liberal. It’s a great song. If you haven’t read the lyrics you should go do that now. Reading the lyrics to ‘Love Me I’m a Liberal’ made me sad. … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, sexism, etc, Popular (and unpopular) culture, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues, Whatever | 5 Comments

Actual Women?

Posted on December 9, 2006 by Maia

As fans of Buffy probably already know, from March next year ‘Season 8’ will run monthly in comic book form. Joss will write the first four, last four and some in between. I’m excited, really I am, I love Buffy … Continue reading →

Posted in Buffy, Whedon, etc., Cartooning & comics, Feminism, sexism, etc, Gender and the Body | 15 Comments

Radical

Posted on December 7, 2006 by Maia

I’ve recently finished reading Barbara Ransby’s Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision. She’s one of the many women (and men) whose stories get ignored in the deradicalisation of the black freedom movement.* The first I … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, sexism, etc, Race, racism and related issues | 1 Comment

Guest Post from Tonga: Soldiers and cops wherever you go

Posted on November 27, 2006 by Maia

Nuku’alofa/Pangaimotu – The city centre of Nuku’alofa has been completely closed off after last Thursday’s riots. Military checkpoints have been set up on every intersection. Only people who work and/or live inside that part of town are let in. Journalists … Continue reading →

Posted in International issues | 1 Comment

Accessibility

Posted on November 26, 2006 by Maia

There was one discordant note to the Reclaim the Night march I went to last Thursday. The organisers had done a really good job of planning the after party. There was food, and a space for a debrief, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in Disabled Rights & Issues, Feminism, sexism, etc, Whatever | 4 Comments

'Mutually Abusive'

Posted on November 25, 2006 by Maia

There’s a fallacy that abuse is about individual acts, and that you can measure the abusiveness of a relationship by tallying what people did to each other. This ignores a basic truth about abuse, which is that you can’t abuse … Continue reading →

Posted in Fat, fat and more fat, Feminism, sexism, etc, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | 31 Comments

Guest Post from Tonga: Revolutionary not Evolutionary

Posted on November 25, 2006 by Maia

Two friends of mine have gone to Tonga for Indymedia. I’m going to be posting their reports. Smush wrote the words and Sln took the pictures. Nuku’alofa (Tonga) – We, two indymedia (www.indymedia.org.nz) activists, arrived at Fua’amato International Airport early … Continue reading →

Posted in International issues | 1 Comment