The Ghost of Tom Joad

stephaniekeith:

 ”Wild Cat” march in lower Manhattan on May Day in New York City.

jerrymuffinbutt:

Students arrested at Auckland protest.

Police have arrested 43 people at a student protest in central Auckland against the Budget and Finance Minister Bill English.

More than 100 police were understood to have been deployed to the demostration, which closed Symonds St, between Waterloo Quad and Wellesley St. Symonds St was reopened about 5pm but the protest moved to Queen St, where protesters sat on the road blocking traffic, and then on to SkyCity. Many bus services in the city were delayed because of the protest, involving an estimated 500 people.

The students, supported by a number of unions, were protesting education cuts announced in last week’s Budget, which limit eligibility for students’ allowances and require graduates to repay loans at a rate of 12 per cent of their income rather than 10. Joe Carolan of Socialist Aotearoa said students were dressed up in togas and waving red flags to accept English’s challenge last week that they should “protest like the Greeks”.

He described police as “aggressive” and explains at one point they came into the crowd and arrested a petite Asian girl which caused boos from protesters and onlookers. He was not sure why people were arrested saying it was their democratic right to march. Officers were linking arms and pushing against the crowd as it came up Symonds St.

He said people finishing work were turning up to see what was going on at the university.

Nathalie Jaques of protest group We Are the University said the action was part of a new student movement called Blockade the Budget. She said they were planning further protest action for next semester. Today was the last day of lectures for students.

An Auckland Transport spokesman said public transport which normally goes via Symonds St was affected, as were many other central city services, and drivers should avoid the area.

At a post-budget breakfast last week English told a business audience that most people thought students should “count themselves lucky they’ve still got interest free loans”.

“Yes, there’s a protest movement out there but who’s really listening to them?” English said, in response to a question from the audience. ”They get on TV and they can make a bit of a racket … dragging a few rubbish bins around, they need some Greeks to show them how to do it.” English was not willing to comment on the protests when contacted this evening.

Protest organisers said the budget cuts were “scapegoat politics of a terminally ideological government”.

A Facebook page for their protest said education investment is needed for a healthy society.

“When the government and the elite insist that the only way to fund education is indebtedness, we say that education is a human right and a social necessity.”

modernizing:

PHILOSOPHY POSTERS: BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING WORDS

These posters do just that, capturing some of the wisdom written by the great philosophers that have gone before us, those who explored the far boundaries of human understanding and wisdom. The bold, black and white typography against a newsprint like halftone, is just the right look for such truthful statements strongly said.

The series of posters was created by Max Temkin, a designer and print maker from Chicago, Illinois. He was inspired to create the set after a retiring teacher gave him a poster containing an enlightening message from Friedrich Nietzsche… but one that was designed in a fashion far less inspiring than the quote itself. Looking to create something more fitting of the wise words these thinkers gave us, he recently started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and sell the beautiful hand silk-screened posters at a bargain price of $20 a pop… and has had a huge amount of interest. In fact, he’s sold 1362 prints to date. It’s almost as inspiring a story as the quotes he’s sharing. To get your hands on one of these prints and their deep messages, head to Max’s site: Maxistentialism.

(via visualnews)

erosum:

Feminist Frequency - Tropes vs. Women: #1 The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

widdershinsgirl:

littlemisslillykat:

homosexualintellectual:

Trans* rights in the United States. See a problem here?

& This is why I wont move off the west coast!

Nor I out of Minnesota!!!