Pork = Cruelty

Sadly, despite it being delicious, pork products like ham and bacon almost invariably come from a reality that would be horrifying to most people if they actually witnessed it.
Pigs in the majority of farms in NZ and abroad are treated with extreme and unnecessary cruelty. They are treated in ways that no reasonable person would treat any animal, yet they are as sensitive, sentient and intelligent as dogs [who are also often treated with absolute cruelty by many evil and ignorant people].
I say young people should be educated about what really goes on in the production of the meat they eat so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to actively support the torture of thinking, feeling creatures like pigs.
Would any of you take Babe [from the movie], put him in a cage that he couldn't turn around in and leave him in the dark to suffer for his entire life before then lining him up with his neighbours to be killed one by one as the next one in line watches?

Check out the SAFE site to see how you can help and to read about how Mike King turned from promoting pork to promoting animal welfare once he visited a pig farm in NZ.

Mike King's 45-minute ordeal of pig horror included seeing:

• a dead female pig inside a sow stall

• lame, crippled pigs and others that could barely stand

• pigs either extremely depressed or highly distressed

• bar biting, scars and injuries

• pigs excessively frothing at the mouth

• a lack of clean drinking water and food.

Can you identify which pigs are happy and which pigs are suffering needlessly so you can have bacon, pork chops, ham, etc?

It's difficult to face unpleasant facts that inconvenience you, but can you continue to encourage such cruelty to continue by buying and eating inhumane pork products?
If you simply can't give up pork, try encouraging your family to buy kindly farmed pork products like from  Freedom Farms

freedom of speech doesn't exist

I found out this week that you can't ask rational, reasonable questions if it relates to certain groups of people... Like asking if Israel is committing human rights abuses against Palestinians. You can't ask that, apparently, without being anti-semitic.
That strikes me as uncool.
I didn't even share an opinion about it [as i don't know enough to have an informed one yet]. I merely asked a question.
Another question is, could the USA be considered the world's largest terrorist organisation for violating international law to invade Iraq, along with every other atrocity they've been behind in the name of democracy [or should i say, Western capitalism?]. - See Chomksy to see where i get my indoctrination from.

I was delighted this year when a student asked me to stop promoting cocoa products as this was supported by child slavery in West Africa. I tried to get them to think further on the subject by teasing them about how that might be a good way to avoid child unemployment, and i found that some of them were as indoctrinated and unwilling to think beyond their curently held, overheard, half-truth version of events as many adults are. Others were prepared to step aside from existing ideas and think for themselves before slamming my ridiculous thought provoker.
There is hope.

An inconvenient amount of "truths"

We are watching "An Inconvenient Truth". But who decides what truth is?
Evidence must play a part, but is all evidence reliable?
Who should we believe?
Opinions are different from facts - it is difficult to establish some facts.
The movie is convincing. I believe it. Many don't.
Here are some websites with different viewpoints.
There are also some cool sites with pictures of Earth from Space and more...

http://researchpark.arc.nasa.gov/lecture%20series/archive/Benson_Lecture.html

http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/global-ecology.php

http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060524-global-warming.html

http://www.dels.nas.edu/basc/earthobservations/?gclid=CLjKwdLx5JUCFRGiiQodTk7xeA

http://virtualterritory.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/inconvenient-truth-like-slides-of-the-our-globe-from-space/

Term Two poster design

Our classmate "Roo" has had a brilliant idea for a Term Two project. Because we had so many ideas about which charities to raise money for, he suggested we design posters to promote each different cause and what they stand for.
This would be good for several reasons:
1. You'd have to research the charities
2. Think critically about which one you feel is worth promoting
3. Learn about design techniques for posters
4. Integrate ICTs to add value to and enhance the quality of your product

Please comment with your opinions and ideas about which charities you support and why.